The Government of Canada is partnering with Indigenous communities and businesses in Saskatchewan to deliver cleaner and more affordable energy.

The Government will invest nearly $10 million for five projects in Saskatchewan that will enhance understanding of energy use and support renewable energy technology in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, said this investment will do more than just create ‘better energy’.

“I am pleased to be in the province in which I grew up to announce the federal government’s support for five vital projects that will advance economic reconciliation, deploy clean energy and create sustainable jobs,” he said. “Our partners in Saskatchewan are deploying renewable energy, displacing coal-based electricity and other carbon-emitting products, improving energy efficiency and training the next cohort of Indigenous clean energy leaders.”

These projects include:

• $4,374,600 to Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) Program Services to build capacity and develop a regional approach to renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation by and for Indigenous communities.
• $2,000,000 to Mee-Toos Forest Products Ltd., a Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies subsidiary, for a bioheat project to replace existing propane heating systems at two schools in Pelican Narrows and Deschambault Lake and reduce fossil fuel usage by 90 percent.
• $1,604,554 to MLTC Solar Energy to deploy an 816-kilowatt solar farm in the regional municipality of Tecumseh in southern Saskatchewan. The project will be 100 percent owned by the nine First Nations of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council and located on Indigenous-owned lands. The solar facility will be a stepping stone for the community to develop other renewable energy projects.
• $975,000 to the First Nations Power Authority of Saskatchewan for a capacity-building project focused on Community Energy Planning for Saskatchewan Indigenous communities that currently do not receive natural gas service from SaskEnergy.
• $840,000 to the University of Saskatchewan to create a master’s of sustainability in security degree to meet the training needs of northern, remote and Indigenous communities through distance education and purpose-driven practical experience to lead to sustainable community energy development.