Chief says it’s about helping his community and protecting the environment
Taryn Grant, CBC News
Every few years, Glooscap First Nation asks its members for feedback: where do they want to invest their money?
In 2017, renewable energy entered the conversation.
“It wasn’t the highest scoring, but it made it into the top three for the first time,” said Michael Peters, CEO of Glooscap Ventures, the community’s economic development arm.
“So that was kind of our, you know, green light to start looking at renewable energy opportunities,” Peters said in an interview.
Glooscap started small, with an array of solar panels on a commercial building. Peters said he hoped to cut down on energy costs and reduce Glooscap’s carbon footprint.
His ambitions have since grown, and so has the community’s endorsement. He said investment in renewable energy was the No. 1 priority in the latest round of community consultation.
The work Glooscap is doing on renewable energy was recognized this fall by the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA), which named Glooscap Ventures the Indigenous Clean Energy Company of the Year.
Jean Habel, a senior director with CanREA, said Glooscap won the prize because it’s “really poised to be part of the energy transition.” Read more.