RANKIN INLET, Nunavut — The federal government announced today it is providing $7 million in funding from Canada’s Northern REACHE Program to the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link project, an Inuit-led initiative that aims to bring renewable energy and high-speed Internet service to remote northern communities in the Kivalliq region of Nunavut.
“This funding builds on previous Government of Canada funding of $4.6 million for technical and feasibility assessments through the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor),” explains a press release from Indigenous Services Canada. “The Canadian Infrastructure Bank is also providing important advisory services in support of the project’s development activities.”
Led by Nukik Corporation, the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link project “proposes a new 1,200-kilometre overhead hydroelectric transmission line between the Gillam, Manitoba area and the Kivalliq region that will help five communities and two gold mines transition away from polluting and costly diesel,” the release says, adding many northern communities continue to rely on diesel fuel for electricity and heat.
“As Nunavut’s first-ever infrastructure link to the rest of Canada, the project will also create access to affordable broadband service for 10,000 residents; modernize the region’s telecommunications systems; and enable future economic development, including e-business, tele-healthcare and educational opportunities,” the release adds.
“Our government is proud to support Indigenous-led clean energy projects across the North and Arctic, which is why we are making significant new investments in cleaner energy generation in the Fall Economic Statement,” said Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, CanNor and PrairiesCan, in the release.
“The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link aspires to bring clean, secure and affordable energy and broadband Internet service to the Kivalliq region. Transformational initiatives like this one will help Canada meet its climate objectives and more importantly, serve as the foundation for resilient and thriving northern communities, all while saving them money on polluting diesel. This is only possible through the leadership and determination of organizations such as the Kivalliq Inuit Association, Sakku Investments and Nukik Corporation,” Vandal said.
“Nunavut is Canada’s largest territory and does not have any infrastructure connecting it to the rest of the country,” said Anne-Raphaëlle Audouin, CEO of Nukik Corporation. “The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link is a nation-building inter-tie project that directly and tangibly answers national and regional commitments to take climate action, walk the talk on reconciliation and build a true, resilient pan-Canadian grid that will enable Nunavut to, one day, send renewable electricity back to the North American network, contributing to Canada’s 2050 net-zero objective. The federal government has been a true partner and we are excited for the next stage of the project’s development.”
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