The local communities have agreed to jointly develop the project on a 100% community basis. To do so, the communities of Wolf Lake and Kebaowek and the MRC of Témiscamingue have also decided to work with the community of Pekuakamiulnuatsh located in the Lac-Saint-Jean region, which has already successfully developed and operated various community-based renewable energy projects in Lac-Saint-Jean and the Mauricie regions.
This partnership between the communities marks an important milestone in the development of the region. It was agreed that the partnership would take the form of a limited partnership, a vehicle that by its essence implies that the governance of the limited partnership is independent of that of the limited partners. Over the years, Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan has grouped the expertise in the development and management of community renewable energy projects into a non-profit organization (NPO), Développement PEK, that is 100% owned by Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan.
The partnership and the limited partnership are divided as follows
- Wolf Lake First Nation 20%
- Kebaowek First Nation 20%
- MRC de Témiscamingue 40%
- Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation 20%
The limited partners will soon appoint two people each to represent their organization and form the board of directors of the limited partnership, which will act as the project manager for both the development phase and the operation of the facilities. The latter will be supported by the Développement PEK, for the administrative aspects and contractual management. The limited partnership will respect the rules applicable to municipal organizations for the awarding of its contracts.
The First Nations communities of Kebaowek, Wolf Lake and Pekuakamiulnuatsh and the MRC de Témiscamingue are partners in this community project. The objective that brings them together is to develop a real project that will benefit the First Nations as well as all the citizens of the MRC de Témiscamingue.
