September 2, 2008

Wind energy seminar in Ottawa aimed at raising Aboriginal participation

Ottawa

The growth of Canada’s wind power industry includes Aboriginal communities and that is why the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) has organized its first-ever Wind and Aboriginal Communities Seminar.

“With this session we aim to increase the dialogue and information sharing between representatives of Aboriginal communities and the wind energy industry in Canada,” says Robert Hornung, president of CanWEA.

CanWEA will hold its first-ever Wind and Aboriginal Communities Seminar on Sept. 11 to 12 in Ottawa. The seminar is part of the Wind Matters series, an educational initiative designed to inform various potential players in the wind industry about possible opportunities. Representatives from the Aboriginal community, construction and development industry, various levels of government and utility and regulatory officials involved in Aboriginal development, would all benefit from the seminar, believes CanWEA.

“This seminar is part of our efforts to promote opportunities available in wind energy,” says Ulrike Kucera, media relations office for the Canadian Wind Energy Association. “We have hosted others on financing and siting of projects. They are another way to reach out.”

This particular seminar will include a review of case studies, Aboriginal community partnership models, breakout sessions on regional issues, and discussion on resources that can aid Aboriginal communities in developing wind projects.

Some companies in the wind power industry have already been making connections with the Aboriginal community to help grow not just relationships but also labour capacity and employment opportunities.

Trillium Power Wind Corporation and the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) completed a bilateral agreement earlier this summer which will offer a wide range of training and educational opportunities to First Nations members. Trillium intends to build a 140 turbine offshore wind farm between 20 to 25 kilometres from the Prince Edward County shoreline in Eastern Ontario. The wind farm would generate 710 megawatts of power, enough to power 250,000 homes in Ontario.

Through the bilateral agreement Trillium Power and FNTI will work together with St. Lawrence College to train First Nations students in developing and maintaining offshore and onshore wind power facilities. Once these joint programs are in place, FNTI will be the first and only indigenous educational institution in the world to offer a comprehensive wind-power training program.

Visit www.canwea.ca for more information or to register for the seminar.

— VINCE VERSACE

Print | Email | Comment