Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada (HICC) has announced that the federal government and 10 Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia have invested more than $4.8 million in renewable energy generation through the installation of solar panels in the communities.
Of that total amount, the Canadian government contributed $3,625,476 via the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program’s Green Infrastructure Stream, while 10 Mi’kmaw communities provided $1,208,492.
According to HICC’s news release, the First Nations communities that participated were Acadia, Annapolis Valley, Eskasoni, Glooscap, Millbrook, Paqtnkek, Pictou Landing, Potlotek, Wagmatcook, and Waycobah.
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HICC noted that the project aims to help Mi’kmaw communities:
- Gain more power over their energy and environmental future
- Limit their carbon footprint and energy costs
- Provide employment opportunities within the renewable energy sector
- Build capacity for further renewable energy projects
“The federal government is proud to invest in environmentally sustainable infrastructure projects like this one,” said Jaime Battiste, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Crown-indigenous relations and member of Parliament for Cape Breton–Canso–Antigonish, in the news release.
Net metered solar panels
Bayside Renewables and Eskasoni Renewables – two majority Indigenous-owned renewable energy construction companies – installed solar energy systems across the 10 First Nation communities.
HICC explained that the completed project includes net-metered solar panels for communities to produce their own electricity and supply it to the electrical utility.
“Now that the solar panel installation is complete, ten Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia have more autonomy over their energy production and environmental impact,” Battiste said.
Marco MacLeod, Nova Scotia’s energy minister, called this “a great example of how solar power is becoming a larger part of our overall energy mix and providing affordable, cleaner, and reliable electricity.”
Given the installation of the solar panels, the communities have to pay only the “net” electricity amount, comprising the difference between the amount of electricity their solar systems generate and the amount of electricity they use from the grid.
“By making use of our strong solar energy potential, Mi’kmaw communities are lowering their energy costs and creating local jobs and economic opportunities that can last generations,” MacLeod said in HICC’s news release.
Funding details
Ulnooweg Development Group, a not-for-profit organization that seeks to support Atlantic Canada’s Indigenous businesses, managed the funding agreement.
According to HICC, the Green Infrastructure Stream aims to support greener communities, renewable technologies, climate change preparedness, and greenhouse gas emission reduction.
Apart from the present project, this stream has targeted more than 60 infrastructure projects in Nova Scotia, totalling to $356 million in federal contributions and $524 million in provincial contributions.
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