Champagne Aishihik First Nation Disappointed With YEC

Wednesday, 12 August 2020 11:54

We want to be part of the solution when it comes to Aishihik. The Champagne Aishihik First Nation is committed to continue working together to find the best possible long-term solutions for responsible energy production.

The Champagne Aishihik First Nation is expressing disappointment over Yukon Energy's proposal submitted to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) for the continued long-term operation of the Aishihik Generating Station (AGS).

The First Nation says Yukon Energy submitted the proposal without addressing the issues raised by Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) on behalf of our Citizens. CAFN's preferred approach would have been to work with YEC to prepare and submit a joint proposal.

CAFN believes in collaboration and wanted to reach shared outcomes with Yukon Energy for the continued operation of the Aishihik facility. This is a disappointing turn of events and adds new challenges. But CAFN is cautiously optimistic that we can work together to get this right before the long-term licence is issued.

Like all Yukoners, our CAFN government and people want responsible and clean energy. We want to be part of the solution when it comes to Aishihik. CAFN is committed to continue working together to find the best possible long-term solutions for responsible energy production.

The story of the dam at Aishihik is one of hardship and past wrongs. We have been impacted by the production of affordable power for Yukoners and industry for close to 50 years, and the costs to our land, water, fish, wildlife and people have been extremely high. The Aishihik Generating Station is not green or sustainable energy, and comes at an enormous environmental and cultural cost to CAFN and the Yukon.

We have an opportunity now to reconcile past wrongs by working together.

We are sharing this written public statement to affirm our position for the public record. We will not be providing additional comments to the media at this time, as we prefer to go through the proper channels to continue our efforts to identify collaborative solutions to the ongoing impacts of the Aishihik Generating Station.

The Aishihik Generating Station currently meets up to 50% of Yukoner's energy needs. CAFN Citizens have observed negative impacts to the Aishihik Lake, River and surrounding area since the construction of the dam in 1972.

Yukon Energy Corporation is currently operating the Aishihik Generating Station under a short-term licence granted in early 2020, which is set to expire December 31, 2022. The short-term license requires Yukon Energy Corporation to collaborate with the Champagne Aishihik First Nation

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