Canada Invests in Community-Led Solar Project in Ontario’s Most Northern First Nation  

April 5, 2022                                        Fort Severn, Ontario                                         Natural Resources Canada

The Government of Canada is investing in community-led clean energy projects with Indigenous Peoples to develop innovative solutions that will displace fossil fuels and advance reconciliation and self-determination.

Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of over $865,000 to Fort Severn First Nation for a solar project to reduce the need for diesel-generated electricity and boost the reliability of energy systems in the remote northern Ontario community.

This project will also allow the community to lower its greenhouse gas emissions while creating health benefits and saving money. It will generate renewable electricity through a 290-kilovolt solar photovoltaic installation that is expected to reduce diesel consumption in the community by up to 400,000 litres annually. 

Federal funding for this project is provided through Natural Resources Canada's Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program. The $220-million program strives to reduce reliance on diesel in rural and remote communities by deploying and demonstrating renewable energy projects, encouraging energy efficiency and building local skills and capacity. The program is part of the government’s Investing in Canada plan, a more than $180-billion investment in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

Fort Severn First Nation, the Government of Ontario and Hedgehog Technologies also contributed to the project for a total investment of nearly $2.6 million.

Canada’s strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, ensures Canada will remain a world leader in clean power. Canada is investing an additional $300 million over five years to help rural, remote and Indigenous communities, currently reliant on fossil fuels, to transition to clean, reliable energy by 2030.