Kenora MP Bob Nault is calling today a “historic time for the residents of Pikangikum First Nation.
The Federal government is investing $60-million to connect Pikangikum to the province’s electricity grid.
Wataynikaneyap, a regional transmission company owned by 22 First Nations, will receive the funding to establish a 117-kilometre power line from Red Lake to the remote northern community.
Nault says construction will begin this Fall, with completion expected in the Fall of 2018.
He calls the announcement a significant first step in eliminating Pikangikum’s dependence on diesel fuel by supporting a transition to more sustainable energy solutions.
Nault adds it will also open up new economic opportunities.
He stresses the project is long overdue.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett made the announcement Thursday morning in Thunder Bay
#Pikangikum grid line will positively impact community well-being & provide opp. to move ahead w/other projects https://t.co/aRdcmzRtu4 pic.twitter.com/IAXlAOJO3k
— The Hon. Bob Nault (@BobNaultMP) August 17, 2017
