Video of photo collage, Hanson Island, Yukusem Canoe Carving Project by Beau Dick

Cloudworks and Douglas First Nation in hydro developments

Nick Andrews of Cloudworks Energy Inc. was sanguine about progress on run-of-river projects underway in 2009 in the In-SHUCK-ch Nation's Douglas First Nation, “A couple of run-of-river hydro sites are going along well, three are in the works and there are more to come.”
     

Andrews is able to discuss a six-year working relationship with the Douglas Band, located about 50 km northwest of Harrison Hot Springs in southwestern British Columbia. “A Participation Agreement is in place for the proposed suite of six run-of-river projects (Douglas, Fire, Stokke, Tipella, and Lamont Creeks, and Upper Stave River) located within the Douglas traditional territories.” 
     

The Independent Power Producers of BC have been struggling to get their message out. “We are not effectively stating the case for this kind of development,” says Andrews. “The more misinformation, more confusion, more is the need to put in place the broad consensus that exists for run-of-river power generation.”
     
He says, “First Nations are the strong suit in the business mix, and their presence is working to correct social conditions because these projects directly affect these people. We are doing great just by making our own partners happy. We are not splashing across the world,” but the First Nations involved are in it from the outset. 
     “They are involved in all levels of study, environmental, engineering and site development, and they are finding skilled employment and the First Nations have ownership of the energy resources. There is capacity building underway and ancillary businesses are finding jobs and contracts,” with their new capacity.
     

Chief Don Harris is the Douglas First Nation chief, “We are active at four sites right now although the Harrison site is winding down,” as the first phases of the development near completion. “Our camp at Stave Lake is running at full capacity with 160 people working. We are in the wind-up stages on part of it, with a couple of adjustments to be made.”
     

Harris says the Douglas communities obtained a lot of jobs in machine operation and construction, “And Kiewit will be picking up a some of these guys on their other developments,” and in fact, “they will be able to make a career out of Kiewit.”
     

Douglas First Nation communities will gain new life above and beyond employment because now these communities can grow, weaned from diesel power that fails often and fails to provide the capacity for new housing development.”We're shareholders and we do maintenance on the system when it gets up and running. One of the things we key on is environmental issues and cultural issues.”
     

Harris recently attended an inter-tribal fisheries meeting in Vernon, BC and says, “We discussed the standards for power projects,” in relation to the salmon fishery, “and wildlife issues. We are setting standards for developers to deal with the issues and First Nation participation.” Douglas First Nation has been working diligently toward December 31, 2010, “when the power grid we are building joins the BC Hydro grid.”