Ontario Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce made the announcement in Timmins at the Sandy Falls Generating Station, located on the Mattagami River.
Lecce noted that Ontario has not seen a new hydroelectric station in a decade, and demand is increasing significantly. “We need more power in this province -- 81 per cent more power in northern Ontario (and) 75 per cent more power in all of Ontario,” he said. He described hydropower as a clean, cost-effective, and dependable energy source.
The stations, to be located on the Albany and Mattagami Rivers, will take seven to eight years to build. Indigenous leaders will play a key role throughout the process. Chief Peter Wesley of Moose Cree First Nation emphasized the shift in approach: “This time, the biggest difference we’re in there at the beginning, which is what we’ve always asked for, to be part of the discussion on any future project within our homeland.”
Candice Tourville, business development officer for Taykwa Tagamou Nation, explained that her community will receive updates on the project for the next year and a half. “And from there, the community will have the vote on if they want to move ahead with development or not,” she said. Field studies at Nine Mile Rapids and Grand Rapids, the chosen sites, are slated to begin this year. Tourville added: “We want to make sure that our community members, our neighbours, our aunties and uncles, have that say in what’s going to happen.”
If approved, the stations could generate enough electricity to power 430,000 homes. Heather Ferguson, senior vice-president of business development and corporate affairs at Ontario Power Generation, pointed out the strategic value of local energy sources. “You can’t just transmit everything way, way, way up north. You need to have opportunities to have your generation in the north,” she said. This supports growing industries like mining in the region.
Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau welcomed the project, noting its importance for economic growth. “We’re seeing a lot of these big electricity users that have shown an interest in the area, we want to welcome them all into Timmins and area, but in order to do that, we do need to build our electricity capacities in the region,” she said. George Pirie, Ontario’s Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, echoed this: “We’ve got what the world wants and needs and in our backyard, we’re going to need energy to capitalize on all of the potential.”
The stations aim to meet local consumption needs while supporting northern Ontario’s development. Lecce emphasized that the project relies on Canadian technology and workers, ensuring a strong domestic effort in delivering this clean energy solution.
