Concerns, questions take the spotlight in Churchill Falls MOU town hall led by PCs
CBC
The PCs are the second provincial party to hold a town hall on the new tentative deal for Churchill Falls, following frustrations and confusion about an upcoming debate in the House of Assembly.
PC Leader Tony Wakeham took questions from the public Friday evening that he said will be asked in the House.
The Churchill River is "one of our most valuable resources … that resource belongs to you, the people of Newfoundland and Labrador," Wakeham said, arguing the memorandum of understanding between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Hydro-Québec — that is meant to generate $200 billion for Newfoundland and Labrador over the next five decades — must be done right.
"Together, we can ensure that we have the best deal possible," he said.
Wakeham said the MOU is being rushed before the deadline of April 2026, and that the conversation must shift away from politics to the next generation of people in the province.
The PC town hall was held virtually, and participants sent questions through communications officer Nathan Ryan for moderation.
Several participants questioned the length of the proposed deal with Hydro-Québec, including Paul Noseworthy, who wrote, "I don't know why the rush to sign the MOU when there hasn't been any discussions with the public.
"We don't need another 50-year contract that's not going to benefit Newfoundland and Labrador," Noseworthy wrote.
Much like NDP Leader Jim Dinn, Wakeham made calls for an independent assessment of the MOU before the agreement is signed. It's a concern shared by many of those who provided Wakeham with questions to bring to Premier Andrew Furey.
Wakeham said the PCs asked to have independent experts to share their commentary and opinion before debating the memorandum in the House of Assembly, but were turned down.
Concerns about new jobs and development were also raised.
"I know there is a lot of talk about jobs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. But what will it really mean on the labour markets? Are we going to be outsourcing much of this workforce?" Ryan read from a submission.
Wakeham said one of the biggest challenges with the tentative agreement is that Quebec has exclusive right to develop Gull Island for up to 20 years. He said that might mean the ball is in their court when it comes to creating jobs.
"That's very concerning, that we've tied up this big asset of ours in Labrador for the next 20 years to Quebec Hydro to make that decision."
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