John Curran
Northern News Services
Published Monday, December 3, 2007
TUKTOYAKTUK - Currently no communities in the NWT use wind energy to generate their electricity, but most elders remember a time when windmills provided the only power available in the Delta.
From Ulukhaktok, hamlet councillor Margaret Kanayok, left, youth council representative Patrick Akhiatak and community corporation board member Anita Oliktoak said they hope wind power could help wean their community, and other parts of the Delta, off diesel. - John Curran/NNSL photo |
"Back in the 1940s and '50s, before they had any other power here in Tuk, the Roman Catholic Mission had a windmill," said 70-year-old Lucy Cockney. "They used it for their lights and to play the radio."
In fact around the region, many of the missions employed similar systems.
Tuktoyaktuk could once again get at least part of its electricity needs filled by the wind - and other communities in the region may not be far behind.
During the Remote Community Wind Energy Conference, held last week, approximately 100 delegates heard about the benefits of developing sustainable wind energy, as well as some recent success stories in Alaska and Newfoundland using wind-diesel hybrid systems.
Jim Stevens, Tuk hamlet councillor and champion for developing wind power, said he was impressed with the turnout.
"It's good to see the numbers and we got some important speakers here for this," he said.
Among those taking part in the event was Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington, who is also a Northern expert on alternative energy sources. He welcomed delegates to the conference and didn't mince words in doing so.
"This world is in crisis ... we have to change," he said. "Wind is the only truly sustainable energy source available to people in parts of this region."
The NWT has tried wind energy test projects in the past in locations such as Sachs Harbour and Rankin Inlet, prior to the creation of Nunavut. Most attending the conference were comfortable calling those experiences miserable failures due to insurmountable maintenance issues that arose.
"We learned for our mistakes and that's important," added Bevington. "This is a creative process - we have to make something from nothing."
Stevens echoed the federal politician's thoughts and explained why those projects failed.
"When you look at the test programs in the past you see poor planning, a lack of support and partnerships with poor companies," he said.
Wade Carpenter, alternative energy specialist with the GNWT and conference planning committee chairperson, said the government wants to move forward with a new pilot project to test the viability of wind turbines by 2009 and that's going to create training opportunities.
"Wind machines need servicing just like diesel generators, just like your car," he said, adding that once the community is selected to be the site of the pilot project, a plan would be developed to train residents to maintain the turbines and other equipment involved.
For more than two years the Aurora Research Institute has been studying wind levels in six NWT communities and, factoring in logistical concerns and other issues, Tuk is the likely spot for the next Northern windmill - though nothing is official as of yet.
It's not official because following the conference it's up to Northern leaders to let the various levels of government know where they want it and exactly what sort of system they'd like to try.
Currently a hub-and-spoke approach to wind development is favoured by most in the Delta.
"The Inuvialuit are proposing a regional hub-and-spoke model," said Nellie Cournoyea, conference chairperson as well as chair and chief executive officer of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.
"This model identifies Tuktoyaktuk's infrastructure and human resource capacities and economies of scale ... as making it a good candidate for a wind turbine demonstration project and hub."
With trained technicians based in Tuk, as development reached out to the spokes - communities like Ulukhaktok and Paulatuk - they could quickly fly-in to build and maintain those projects cheaper than if they were done as standalone initiatives, she said.
"We're going to fight very hard to get windmills in Tuk," she added.
Though members of the host community accounted for about a quarter of the crowd, Ulukhaktok was also well represented by several people, including hamlet Councillor Margaret Kanayok, youth council representative Patrick Akhiatak and community corporation board member Anita Oliktoak.
"It doesn't matter to me who goes first," said Oliktoak. "We all need to work together to reduce emissions and save money on fuel."
Also one of the test sites examined by the Aurora Research Institute, a small windmill sits atop the cliffs outside Ulukhaktok collecting data near Airforce Lake.
"I see it when I go fishing," said Kanayok. "I think wind energy is a good idea for us and a good idea for the planet."
While governments and corporations are just now waking up to the idea of using wind power, hunters in the Delta did so a long time ago.
Roughly 40 kilometres southeast of Tuk sits a cabin where you'll generally find the community's acting mayor Merven Gruben once the spring hunt is going strong.
"It's just a little family getaway, but about 10 years ago my uncle put in a wind generator," he said. "It cut our diesel usage in half to about 500 gallons and ran all our lights and freezers."
Likewise Paulatuk Mayor Ray Ruben remembers his father installed a wind turbine at his camp years ago. Not only did it meet the normal camp needs, it also meant a few added luxuries.
"It even ran our washing machine," he said.
