Lessons Learned on Renewable Energy from the Northern Lights Conference (2023)

Wind tower for wind turbine in Sanikiluaq, NU

In early February, Fiona Wirz-Endrys, Odonaterra’s Planning and Consultation Coordinator, had the opportunity to attend the Northern Lights Conference in Ottawa. This annual conference focuses on Canadian arctic mining, food security, economic development, sustainable infrastructure, and other topics specific to the experience in northern Canada. 

During conference sessions, many voices were heard, including those of Inuit business owners, advocacy groups, and political leaders; engineers, consultants, and mining prospectors working in the region also shared their experiences. It provided a rare opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together for collaborative presentations and open discussion.   

Figure 1. Critical minerals in Canada. From "The Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy,” Government of Canada, 2023.

Discussions highlighted that for many arctic communities the prospecting of “critical minerals” is a growing reality necessary to develop the green energy sector by providing materials for products like electric car batteries, solar panels, and wind energy infrastructure. The diagram below was used to illustrate the 31 critical minerals identified through consultations with provincial, territorial, and industry experts. The diagram was central to several mining and green infrastructure discussions throughout the conference, including how minerals will be prioritized to support economic development under the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy.    

Critical mineral extraction and green energy development could increase local business, job opportunities and community resilience in northern communities while also enabling a transition away from diesel which has been, and for some still is the sole energy source for northern communities. Phasing out diesel in favour of green energy can be more cost-effective and can improve air quality in northern communities.  

Many emerging green energy projects were presented during the conference. In Nunavik (QC) alone, wind turbines are being established in 14 different communities. In Inukjuak (QC), a community-owned hydroelectric dam is in construction designed for the unique environmental conditions and intended to provide energy and profit for the community.  

In Sanikiluaq (NU), the Anuriqjuak Nukkiksautiit Project is one of the first wind energy projects in Nunavut. Working on behalf of Inuit-owned Qikiqtaaluk Business Development Corporation and Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation, Fiona interviewed residents of Sanikiluaq during a visit in February 2022 to determine potential effects and appropriate mitigations of the Anuriqjuak Nukkiksautiit Project. The information gathered supported the socio-economic and Inuit Qaujimaningit (Inuit knowledge) components of the Project Proposal. In November 2022, the Nunavut Impact Review Board recommended to the Minister that a full impact assessment (screening) was not required. Construction on the project is expected to begin in the summer of 2023. 

Despite the opportunities identified, questions remain. For example: Is green energy viable in the unique northern microclimates? Will local communities receive the training required to be able to participate in the new employment sector? Has trust been established between communities and project proponents? What does the shift in green energy mean for mining critical minerals in the north, and how will this impact the communities and their social and natural environment?  

One key contributor to confidence in green technology in the arctic is the increasing number of success stories. During the conference, an Inuit-owned green energy company, shared its experience supporting 14 communities on the path to developing wind energy production facilities in Nunavik. These communities are keenly waiting for the construction of wind turbines. The enthusiasm described by the company’s representatives has only grown as communities see their neighbours’ success stories and are inspired to pursue similar projects. Success stories like these were rare only a year ago, but in just 12 months communities have been able to experience the positive outcomes of their projects firsthand, resulting in greater confidence in renewable energy across the region.   

It was invaluable to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with other conference attendees and witness the enthusiasm for future opportunities. We hope to continue to support proposals for alternative energy projects that replace diesel fuel and decrease GHG emissions. We applaud businesses and communities leading the way in the sector. Based on our first-hand experience, we believe green energy will speak for itself creating momentum for those who want to take ownership of their energy systems for the benefit of communities and the arctic environment.  

Company Retreat 2023: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Odonaterra kicked off the year with a company retreat and strategic planning session in Wakefield, Quebec to review accomplishments from 2022 and future directions for 2023. As a company that supports working remotely, the retreat provided us with a welcome opportunity to meet face-to-face to discuss strategy and get to know each other better after relying heavily on digital interactions over the past few years.

Company successes from 2022 included Jaime and Fiona’s successful graduation from Concordia University’s Master of Environmental Assessment program. We also welcomed Hans, who has extensive experience in mining and Indigenous-led impact assessment, to the team in an associate role. Several team members also had the opportunity to attend networking and professional development events in Quebec and British Columbia.

Our 2022 project highlights included in-person consultations and social-cultural research in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut which contributed the Nunavut Impact Review Board’s approval of a wind energy project expected to reduce local dependency on fossil fuels. Additionally, we continued to monitor a national infrastructure project and contributed to a federal environmental impact statement (EIS) for an Interprovincial dam replacement project.

In late 2022, we started two Indigenous-led impact assessments that will inform federal and provincial decisions on mining projects. We also expect to complete two Indigenous land use plans this quarter that were started last year and support further land policy development and implementation throughout 2023.

Thank you to our clients and partners for these amazing opportunities to contribute to effective community environmental strategies. We look forward to continuing our work, strengthening these connections, and building new relationships!

Our goals for 2023 include recommitting to communicating with current and potential clients, partners, and employees using the blog and Facebook pages. Additionally, we are planning to meet more regularly in person with our client communities and as a team, take more photos of our engagement work, and share project updates regularly.

As always, we will continue to facilitate Indigenous-led projects in the spirit of reconciliation and decolonization.

We look forward to a great year!

Please visit our What we do page for more information on our services and connect with us to discuss how we can support your upcoming projects!

Vision for 2022

As 2021 closed, we were cautiously optimistic that the pandemic would end, and we could all return to normal. While 2022 opened with the threat of a new COVID-19 variant, we continue to be hopeful that in-community work will be possible again this year. We all look forward to getting back to visiting and connecting with our current and new client communities in person. We are grateful for the trust our clients have in us and the work we have been able to do together despite the pandemic. 

We have been resilient and remained responsive to client needs and interests. We continue to be prepared to safely attend in-person consultations or quickly convert to virtual engagement using videoconferencing, pre-taped videos, infographics, online surveys, and other tools to facilitate discussions and data collection to inform Indigenous-led projects.  

Our team is excited for another successful year integrating innovative approaches to community environmental strategies. Our goals are to continue helping communities:  

• Plan: to define future goals and outline strategies for achieving objectives by facilitating the development of environmental stewardship plans, consultation plans, and culturally relevant policies, including land codes, land plans, and First Nation environmental assessment laws. 

• Study: to develop methods for establishing baseline data and profiles of community health, cultural, and socio-economic conditions to inform monitoring and impact assessments.  

• Assess: to identify possible impacts from projects on human communities, Indigenous rights and culture – using of Indigenous-developed and led methods grounded in natural and Indigenous laws that determine, the significance of effects, as well as appropriate enhancement, mitigation, or accommodation measures.  

• Monitor: to determine what impacts are occurring due to development projects through cultural and socio-economic management plans.  

This year, we will continue to advance reconciliation by supporting and encouraging Indigenous-led impact assessment processes that achieve community development and environmental stewardship objectives. 

Connect with us if you would like to discuss how we could work together in 2022! 

2021 - Year in Review

As we come to the end of 2021, the Odonaterra team reflects on a productive year with new clients, new projects, and new team members!

In 2021, we supported Indigenous-led impact assessment, consultation, and capacity-building projects in Alberta, Ontario, Nunavut, and Quebec. We also continued work on a federal environmental assessment started in 2018 and provided ongoing reporting to support long-term socioeconomic impact monitoring on a large-scale infrastructure project.

Odonaterra hired two new team members in the first half of the year to lead Indigenous engagement and consultation and traditional knowledge and land use studies. An intern also joined our team to provide additional support to our clients for their projects to plan, study, monitor, and assess activities impacting the natural and social environment.

Our team’s project highlights from the year include:

• facilitating Indigenous traditional knowledge and land use studies to support a federal environmental assessment of an interprovincial dam-bridge replacement project;

• guiding the socioeconomic impact assessment for a wind energy proposal;

• co-creating an Indigenous-led social impact assessment for a mining operation;

• consulting First Nations on a caribou habitat recovery program in the communities’ traditional territory; and

• engaging communities to develop environmental management plans and policies.

Our flexible team has been able to remain resilient as the world entered a second year of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Respecting community protocols, we were able to have several in-person meetings and discussions over the summer to strengthen relationships and support the collection of Indigenous knowledge to inform impact assessment. Virtual engagements allowed for ongoing conversations to keep up project momentum when risks of COVID-19 transmission were higher and integrating new tools within the team for internal conversations and information-sharing further enabled project collaboration and success.

As we consider what 2022 holds, we hope to see a return to normalcy so we can get back to the in-person engagements that we dearly miss and that make our work even more meaningful. Our hearts go out to those who have been and continue to be impacted by COVID-19. We know this has exacerbated already overwhelming amounts of work and personal stresses, especially in our Indigenous client communities. We thank our clients for their continued trust and confidence in our team and look forward to continuing our work with you, and engaging new clients to implement community environmental strategies that achieve reconciliation and make us all proud to be Canadian.

If you want to discuss an upcoming social environment project, visit the What we do page for more information about our services and Connect with us.

We wish you a safe and happy holiday season and prosperous new year!

Professional Development

Odonaterra is an organization committed to ongoing learning and professional development.  

As a team, we are dedicated to meeting the highest ethical and professional standards, and individually, hold designations and certifications that similarly require us to align our conduct with the granting institutions’ principles.  

To meet our responsibilities and requirements for continuous professional learning in our fields and specializations, we regularly engage environmental assessment colleagues to discuss changes to relevant legislation and explore best practices through conferences and networking. We also complete ongoing training to stay current with trends and deepen our understanding of environmental impact assessment processes, reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, lands and resources planning, and engagement and consultation strategies, to increase our capacity in these areas. This enables us to continually apply innovative solutions when helping clients to plan, study, assess, and monitor projects. 

Ontario Association for Impact Assessment (OAIA) Conference 2021 

Earlier this fall, we attended the OAIA Conference 2021 which focused on achieving common goals for engagement, project management, and impact assessment following uncommon pathways. Themes included collaborative consultation practices with Indigenous Peoples that respect free, prior and informed consent and the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Discussions further looked at best practices for Indigenous-led impact assessment, an approach that is increasingly used to support holistic project evaluation and that our team regularly endorses and facilitates.  

Regulatory effectiveness and lessons learned from the evolution of multijurisdictional approaches, including regional and strategic level effects assessment, were also presented as tools to better inform decision-making. Additionally, the growth of equality, diversity, and inclusion analyses, and opportunities for integrating science and Indigenous Knowledge into impact assessment, were considered. The future of impact assessment and the need to consider climate change moving forward were also discussed.  

Although offered online, the conference provided opportunities for conversations about problems and solutions to support impact assessment processes. Participants included environmental impact assessment professionals, researchers, Indigenous people, lawyers, government officials, and students from many backgrounds providing diverse insights and visions for impact assessment in the coming years.  

Each team member had unique highlights and takeaways from the event based on their areas of interest and responsibilities that will be applied to continually improve our service delivery and client experience while contributing to best practices in the field of impact assessment. 

OCAP® Training 

Our team is also currently completing OCAP® training which is offered online through Algonquin College to introduce the First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession. 

OCAP® asserts that First Nations have control over data gathering processes and how the information collected can be accessed and used. These principles are intended to ensure that data is shared to benefit communities while minimizing potential harms and supporting meaningful, participatory, and respectful research.  

However, as noted in the training, legislative barriers exist for preventing the full application of OCAP® principles. These include the Privacy Act, the Access to Information Act, and the Library and Archives of Canada Act which do not include community-level privacy protections. This can make First Nations vulnerable to information sharing without permission as government institutions may be subject to Access to Information and Privacy requests. Departments and institutions subject to these Acts may be required to release information held about First Nations without the consent of communities thus undermining ownership, control, access, and possession. 

Our goal is to integrate these principles into What we do to support the interests and well-being of First Nations and encourage policy amendments to better align legislation with OCAP® principles and community privacy. 

We continue to develop as individuals and as a team in this space, and depend on the ongoing guidance, advice, and collaboration of our clients, partners, and colleagues to stay abreast of trends and innovations. We are looking forward to conferences and other professional development opportunities in 2022 to continue our learning! Let us know if there are other courses or conferences you believe could strengthen our future professional development so that we may better serve you.