THE NISGA’A Nation is adding a water power project to a list of industrial activity in which it has a financial stake.
It announced today a benefits deal with a company called WindRiver Power Corporation in return for the latter being able to build a 50-megawatt hydroelectric project at Kinskuch Lake involving the flooding of a portion of Nisga’a-owned property for a reservoir.
Access will also be provided across other Nisga’a lands for a power line to connect the project to the provincial grid.
“Looking forward, we will continue to work closely with the Nisga’a Nation with the shared objective of completing the Kinskuch project, a project which we anticipate will be an important building block in an expanded power grid in northwest B.C.,” said WindRiver president Kipp Horton.
“This project is consistent with our vision of sustainable prosperity and self-reliance,” added Nisga’a Lisims Government president Mitchell Stevens.
The benefits agreement includes commitments of WindRiver to make payments to the Nisga’a Nation tied to specified project milestones, make annual royalty payments to the Nisga’a Nation based on the proceeds of the project’s output, support employment and contract opportunities for citizens of the Nisga’a Nation and companies and provide ownership interests in the project to the Nisga’a Nation through assured initial and future interests and purchase options.
WindRiver Power Corporation bills itself as a developer, owner and operator of hydroelectric and wind power facilities in western Canada.
It has offices in Calgary and Abbotsford.
