Two articles from the Albernia Valley Times below:

Canoe Creek hydro project a long-time dream for Tla-o-qui-aht band

New power source from Canoe Creek a long-time dream for Tla-o-qui-aht band
Alberni Valley Times
Wed 08 Apr 2009
Page: A1 / FRONT
Byline: Heather Thomson

The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation started construction on their Canoe Creek hydropower project this week.

The 5.5-megawatt energy project is a green way to produce enough electricity to power 2,000 homes, and it has been a dream of the Tla-o-qui-aht for many years.

"It has been a lot of arduous work," explained Saya Masso, director of the Economic Development Corporation for Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. "But we are very happy to be underway."

The project is situated on Canoe Creek, south of Cats Ears Creek along Highway 4 between Ucluelet and Port Alberni. Masso said a lot of the planning involved ensuring that none of the watershed would be harmed. He added that there were a lot of hoops to go through to ensure the environment is protected in the Kennedy River watershed.

"Because we are in the Clayoquot we went above what is required," he explained, adding that it was important to them that their traditional territory was protected.

He said they would be burying as much of the standpipe as possible so that it won't interfere with animals in the area and won't be as visible as some other projects.

They are trying to ensure that roads are kept as small as possible. They are also working hard to protect the salmon habitat and will guarantee a specified amount of water remains in the creek.

The Tla-o-qui-aht is partnering in the project with Swift Water Power Corporation out of Nanaimo. Together they form Canoe Creek Hydro, of which the Band will control 75%. The power they produce will be sold to BC Hydro under a 25-year agreement.

"This project is another small step towards the Island being energy self-sufficient," Masso explained. "We believe that sustainable energy is extremely important."

Spokesperson for BC Hydro Dag Sharman said working with groups like Tla-o-qui-aht is part of their over all energy plan for the province. He said their goal is for the province to be electrically self-sufficient by 2016. He explained that at the moment B.C. is a net importer of energy and BC Hydro would like to change that.

Although the easiest and cleanest way to get there is through conservation, it is also impossible to conserve enough power to be self-sufficient. That means working with companies to produce clean energy within the province like the hydro project with Canoe Creek.

The Canoe Creek Hydro applied to BC Hydro through their standing offer program that is designed for smaller groups.

Iain Cuthbert is president of Canoe Creek Hydro. He said their project is one that should be used as a model in the province. He explained that they did a feasibility study to determine which creek in the area would be most suitable.

Canoe Creek offered the shortest run of pipe, minimal fish interference and it is closest to existing power lines. But, perhaps most importantly, it involved the First Nations in the area.

"If people feel critical of this project they should look past the surface and see how it works into the over all plans of the Tla-o-qui-aht," he explained.

Masso said their ultimate goal is to construct a hatchery to help them rebuild the struggling salmon stocks in the area. He added that the profits made through the sale of power would go back into achieving that plan and continuing their work on rehabilitating local streams.

"We are not a corporation that is going to walk away after the lease is done," he explained. "We're going to be here and our first responsibility is to the river."

Although MLA Scott Fraser has spoken against independent power producers selling energy to BC Hydro in favour of a partnership model, he said Canoe Creek looks like a solid plan.

"There may be a benefit to this plan, and I applaud [the Tla-o-qui-aht] for taking charge of this project," Fraser said. "It could give them the lead as true stewards of the land and it sounds very innovative."

Cuthbert said they are putting a real push on this project because if they can complete it and generate power by March 2011 they could qualify for an eco-energy rebate of $10/megawatt produced. In the $15-million project any rebate will be welcome. Cuthbert estimates they won't have any difficulty meeting that deadline. It is expected that construction of the project should take approximately one year, and they hope to be in production by April or May of 2010.

Editorial: We have to use resources, maybe we can use them better

Alberni Valley Times
Wed 08 Apr 2009
Page: A5

If there is one reality we will all have to face it is that eventually our resources are going to be scarce.

That is unless we change the way we are treating this earth.

In British Columbia we rely heavily on our natural resources, and the fact is we are depleting them at the expense of our environment. We rob our forests to build our homes. We steal from our oceans and land to feed our family. And we take fossil fuels from the earth to power our homes and run our vehicles.

But there are better, more sustainable ways to live.

There are a few examples in this area of groups and companies that are trying to find ways to harness the power of the earth without harming it. One is the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation.

They are involved in both tidal and hydro power - both are examples of thinking outside the box to find ways to be sustainable into the future.

Although the debate rages on over whether or not companies should be able to sell power to BC Hydro, this province needs to find ways to support its own electricity demands. At the moment, B.C. imports the majority of its power. BC Hydro would like to change that and become self-sufficient by 2016.

They can't do that without the help of companies and organizations willing to experiment with green energy.

The common complaint is that by allowing independent power producers to have control over our resources and selling power back to BC Hydro it is setting up an unfair system that will cost users even more in the long run.

Another concern is that when the private companies are done with their leases they will just move on and won't be concerned with how they leave the land behind them. This is a legitimate concern and is exactly the reason we have policies in place to ensure this doesn't happen. Anytime our resources are involved it is essential that the government enforce the regulations they have in place. It is our job to watch out and make sure they are doing just that.

The beauty of the Canoe Creek Hydro project is that it is not going to be run by some faceless entity that will pack up and leave after their lease expires. The Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation owns 75% of the company overseeing the project. They have been caring for this land for generations and will continue to do so long after they stop producing power from Canoe Creek.

The proposed tidal power in Ucluelet is somewhat like wind power in that we take what the resource has to offer without depleting it. When the turbines come down the wind is still there. As long as all of the environmental tests have been met, the footprint left behind should be minimal.

We need to see more of these types of projects and less use of fossil fuels and other non-renewable resources.

As a province we are well on our way. The first step is becoming aware of what is needed. The next is making it happen. Everyone now knows what has to be done, so it's time to move on to the next step and make some progress.