By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
The RM of Corman Park will provide a letter of support for the English River First Nation’s application to the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) for grant funding that will be used to improve the resiliency of their microgrid project in northern Saskatchewan.
RM councillors unanimously voted to pass a motion during their October 28 meeting to provide a letter of support containing reeve Joe Hargrave’s signature for the First Nation’s application.
The Green Municipal Fund is a national initiative funded by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) that provides grants, loans, leveraged investments and strategic support to projects that facilitate Canada’s transition to environmental sustainability.
The English River First Nation applied to the GMF in order to expand on its existing microgrid initiative.
According to a project summary provided by administration, the economic and employment development arm of the English River First Nation known as the Des Nedhe Group owns and operates the Poplar House District on the Grasswoods Indian Reserve 192J.
The Poplar District houses a number of government offices, community organizations and industrial/commercial tenants.
To address the district’s power needs, the English River First Nation has a microgrid with an associated 750 kW floating solar array and 1.5 MWh battery storage.
The application to the GMF is for funding to improve the physical resilience of this solar project’s distribution system, namely by replacing depreciated overhead distribution lines with two kilometres of underground cabling that will be less vulnerable to severe weather.
The grant, if approved, will also be used to install pad-mounted transformers, feed cable and smart switchgear to enable quick re-configuration of the grid so it can be fed from an alternate power source.
To qualify for this funding, however, the English River First Nation needs Corman Park’s help.
Chief administrative officer Kerry Hilts indicated in his report that this is because any non-municipal applicant, such as a First Nation, must provide a resolution drafted and adopted by a municipal council partnering on a project in order to access funding.
Despite ostensibly being brought in as a partner, Hilts noted the RM’s actual involvement has not been determined as of yet, and any liabilities from the project (such as needing to re-pay the grant) would fall on the English River First Nation.