Ontario Power Generation and Fort William First Nation at odds over Kakabeka Falls redevelopment

Fort William First Nation is opposing a planned redevelopment of the Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) 117 year old Kakabeka Falls Generating Station, which is located in their traditional territory. 

"We feel that OPG has not made an honest effort to work with us," said Michele Solomon, Chief of Fort William First Nation.

OPG declined to provide an interview, but sent an emailed statement.

"Throughout the process, OPG has invited the Fort William First Nation to participate, including in gathering information around archaeological assessments and environmental survey work. In addition, OPG's project team continues to work with FWFN to maximize business opportunities for the community in the project," said the statement.

The Kakabeka Falls Generation Station is one of the oldest generating stations in the province and provides power to about 25,000 homes. 

"It resulted in flooding, changes to the waterways, damages to our cultural heritage and ways of life," said Chief Solomon. 

The First Nation is also worried about development disrupting the physical site, said Solomon on CBC's Superior Morning,  pointing to a recent discovery of remains belonging to four Indigenous people during construction of a Parks Canada project. 

"We're certainly concerned with archaeology or possible archaeology issues," said Solomon. "Those things need to be dealt with in a sensitive manner."

"There is already a registered burial site on the property, and Fort William First Nation believes there is the potential for more archaeological finds and deeply buried artifacts," said the Fort William First Nation release.

According to historical records accessed via the Thunder Bay Public Library, there is a small graveyard atop the gorge at Kakabeka Falls. There is no official list of who was buried or how they died, but church and newspaper records indicate the graves likely contain the bodies of four to six workers who died during the construction of the power plant in the early 1900s.  Deaths included an electrician from Quebec, a cook who was a recent immigrant to Canada, a young man from Ireland and an "unknown Hungarian", according to the records.