The information and consultation process has the following objectives:
- Enable the host community to fully understand the project
- Address concerns to minimize impacts
- Integrate environmental knowledge
- Maximize benefits
- Improve the project concept and, if necessary, incorporate these modifications directly into the impact study.
An upgraded project that takes feedback into account
The upgraded Onimiki Renewable Energy project was developed taking into account feedback expressed during previous consultations.
| Feedback 2022 | Upgraded project |
| Kipawa dam safety | Onimiki 2 plant eliminated |
| Winter ice condition | Maintaining current management near Kipawa dam Unaffected ice quality |
| Significant increase in flow in Du Moulin Lake as well as Tee Lake, Jadot Lake, Aux Brochets Lake and Gordon Creek, which would increase risks to water quality (turbidity and contaminated sediments) | Unchanged flow in these rivers Average 13 m3/s No recirculation of potentially contaminated sediments |
| Nuisance during construction | Onimiki Nord power plant area unpopulated Elimination of the Onimiki 2 power plant: no impact on Kipawa residents during construction work Potential impacts near the Onimiki South power plant in Témiscaming. |
| Consultation, exchange, monitoring and transparency | Add resources to support Onimiki Renewable Energy New consultation process |
| Impacts on Parc national Opémican (at the level of the Kipawa River and visual impact of the Grande Chute) | Aesthetic and ecological levels at the Laniel dam: to be determined during the impact study Discussions to maintain increased flow during certain periods |
Next steps in the information and consultation process
From March 19 to 21, 2024, three public information meetings took place with members of the Kebaowek First Nation and Wolf Lake First Nation communities. A public meeting also took place in Témiscaming, the project location.
Targeted meetings also took place with representatives of Parc national Opémican, de la SÉPAQ, de Laniel, l’Association des riverains du lac Tee et du Moulin, Conseil régional de l’environnement de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Organisme de bassin versant du Témiscamingue, Amis de la rivière Kipawa, Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue, municipalité de Laniel.
Other face-to-face meetings will be organized this spring to reach as many people as possible. Virtual meetings will also be offered.
In the fall of 2024, new meetings will make it possible to present the results of the environmental inventories and a better defined project. Advisory committees are also planned.
The discussions will be used to inform the impact study, the submission of which is planned for the summer of 2025.
Several citizens and organizations from the territory took part in a series of public information and consultation meetings in the summer and fall of 2022 where several questions and comments were taken into account. Comments were also made following the publication of the project notice in May 2023 in the environmental assessment register of the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs.
The first targeted meetings took place in summer 2022 and early fall 2022. These made it possible to meet the following stakeholders:
- Association des riverains du lac Tee et du Moulin
- Chambre de commerce Témis-Accord
- Conseil régional de l’environnement de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CREAT)
- Les Amis de la rivière Kipawa
- Municipalité de Kipawa
- Organisme de bassin versant du Témiscamingue (OBVT)
- Parc National d’Opémican et Sépaq
- Première Nation de Kebaowek
- Rayonier Advanced Metals site de Témiscaming
- Tourisme Abitibi -Témiscamingue
- TNO Laniel
- Ville de Témiscaming
- Rencontres à Laniel, Témiscaming et Kebaowek
Review of the 2022 consultations
Many feedbacks were adressed.
- Modernization and safety of the Kipawa dam
- Adjusting flow rates to reduce impact
- Plant life and output
- Presence of a flood evacuation mechanism
- Reuse of extracted material
- Modification of river flows and environmental impacts
- Impact on ice formation
- Water quality, eutrophication and contamination
- Impact on the Témiscaming water intake
- Consultation, exchange, monitoring and transparency
- Impacts on Parc national Opémican:
- Park mission
- Kipawa River flow
- Impact on the landscape (the Grande Chute)
- Impact on whitewater activities
- Nuisance during construction
- Water management during construction
- Property values in the vicinity of the project
- Opportunities for local businesses
- Breakdown of revenues and royalties
- Period before return on investment
- Project costs
This feedback was used to design the upgraded project.
Authorization process – MELCCFP
Onimiki Renewable Energy is committed to participating actively and transparently in the environmental assessment and authorization process of its project.
The Impact Assessment and Review Procedure is governed by the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs.