IQALUIT
The Iqaluit hydroelectric project is unlikely to move forward any time soon as the territory's dire needs top priority lists.

Jaynes Inlet was the site of a proposed $211.5 million, 12.5 megawatt storage project located 60 km southwest of Iqaluit, as part of the Iqaluit hydroelectric project. Electricity from the site would be delivered by an 84 km transmission line. The project, on hold since 2014, would ultimately cost an additional $144.5 million with a second phase at Armshow South. - photo courtesy Qulliq Energy Corporation

"Unfortunately, it's on hold primarily because of the expense of financing that project," Qulliq Energy Corporation president Bruno Pereira told Nunavut News/North.

This isn't the first time the issue has come up.

"Is the Iqaluit hydroelectric project alive, is it dead, or is it on life support?" Iqaluit MLA Pat Angnakak asked Johnny Mike, the minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC) in March.

Mike repeated the project is on hold, though some of the work done could be used in future.

The project stalled at the Nunavut Impact Review phase because funds were not available to continue.

"We had looked at the investment that would be required to actually pursue the project, and since we're not in a position to invest the funds, at that time it didn't seem appropriate to invest $6.6 million," said Pereira.

Pereira told News/North QEC is on the look-out for federal funds, but specific programs haven't been announced yet, he said.

However, while such federal funding may help smaller projects, the hydroelectric project, with a proposed total cost of $356 million, is unlikely to qualify. As Finance Minister Keith Peterson noted earlier in the year, the federal government committed to investing $400 million over 10 years starting in 2018-19 to support an Arctic Energy Fund to address sustainable and renewable energy issues for communities North of 60.

While "in complete favour" of incorporating renewable energy, Pereira's reality is all about ensuring people get power-- and to do that, rebuilding existing facilities takes top priority.

"Our goal at QEC is to deliver reliable energy to all of Nunavut. We're spending significant money on rebuilding aged power plants. They are past their expected useful lives. They are critical for the communities. Because of the nature of their reliability and making sure our customers have reliable power, we must rebuild those. We can't do anything else other than that," said Pereira.

In Iqaluit, QEC completed a facility upgrade and expansion, with capacity increase, in 2014. Plant life is generally 40 years. Grise Fiord's is the oldest at 54 years and Gjoa Haven has reached the 40 year mark. Eleven other power plants are located between those two extremes. Taloyoak and Qikiqtarjuaq saw new power plants in 2016, while Pangnirtung, which lost its plant to fire in 2015, saw a replacement in 2017.

Grise Fiord and Cape Dorset are scheduled to have new plants by 2019.

As for Angnakak, she's realistic.

"I think we're all on the same page when it comes to renewable energy. Everybody wants that. We don't want to see anybody polluting our land any more than we're doing now. But at the same time we have to be in reality. The reality is it costs a lot of money for these projects. A quarter of a billion dollars is a lot of money," she said.

In light of the many needs of the territory, she's focused her energy on an elders' facility.

"Everybody has different priorities. We all have so much need. And it's not about personal need. It's about need for Nunavummiut," said Angnakak.

Angnakak notes the 13 new power plants the territory requires when discussing a hydroelectric project for the capital.

"They're probably each about $35 million. We have tank farms that need replacing, that maybe 10 or million dollars each," she said.

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