More information is coming to light regarding the job numbers for the hydro projects in Labrador should the deal with Quebec go through.

Gull Island alone will create about 5,000 jobs with priority sequence of Indigenous workers first, Labrador second and the island of Newfoundland third.

Jennifer Williams, the President and CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and the only person who was on the negotiating teams for both the 2024 agreement and the current one, describes the newer model as superior to the initial one because it allows this province to use excess power as it wishes. That includes giving access to Quebec infrastructure to wheel power to the United States or elsewhere.

On the job front, they have not yet done a specific analysis of what’s involved in the other projects, such as expansion of the electrical grid in Churchill Falls and Labrador West, but she says the expanded capacity will allow mining projects to go ahead.

“The domino effect of having these major projects means more jobs on top of that. There will be thousands and thousands of jobs available in the coming years,” she said.