KIVALLIQ HYDRO-FIBRE LINK
UNLOCKING NORTHERN POTENTIAL BY ERIN DEBOOY
LEFT TO RIGHT: Minister John Main (Nunavut), Minister Adrian Sala (Manitoba), Kono Tattuinee (president, Kivalliq Inuit Association), Premier Wab Kinew, Premier P.J. Akeeagok, Minister Ian Bushie (Manitoba)
changing geopolitical dynamics, including Canada’s electricity exports to the U.S., the KHFL presents a major opportunity to strengthen the historic trade and economic ties between Manitoba and Nunavut, Audouin says. “We have been better neighbours to the U.S. than we have to our own fellow Canadians. U.S.–Canada electricity trading has been incentivized for years by public policy and market drivers; there is an opportunity to build a more resilient Canadian economy that will rest on our own domestically owned and operated energy assets.” Currently, more than 90 per cent of all petroleum products imported in Nunavut come from foreign markets; most years, it represents a staggering 100 per cent. Nukik and Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) announced a formal partnership in 2023, aiming to further advance work on the infrastructure corridor between Churchill and the Kivalliq region. Manitoba has been the traditional supply point for the Kivalliq region in years past, says AGG chief executive officer Chris Avery.
Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet and Whale Cove — off diesel generation and allow them to heat, light and connect their homes and businesses with clean, renewable power and reliable internet. The additional infrastructure will also advance a strategic energy corridor that strengthens northern sovereignty and energy security in the Arctic. “We’re building more than infrastructure; we’re building the future of Northern Canada,” says Anne- Raphaëlle Audouin, chief executive officer with Nukik Corporation. “As Canada develops a true east-west fully integrated grid, Nunavut must be included in this nation-building effort so that critical infrastructure can finally extend to the Arctic. Reliable electricity is a key enabler that supports modern societies everywhere around the globe. The KHFL will support Arctic sovereignty and open up economic pathways that will transform opportunities for generations to come. Other Arctic nations have invested in their northern infrastructure decades ago. Time for Canada to catch up.” As we grapple with uncertain and
Amid global uncertainty, one thing has become certain — building stronger connections between the Arctic and the rest of Canada is key to moving the country forward. The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link (KHFL) promises to do just that. Led by Inuit and powered by Canadian partnerships, the project proposes to build a 1,200-kilometre, 150-megawatt transmission, fibre-optic line that would connect Manitoba’s grid to the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. On April 14, 2025, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew formally recognized the importance of the KHFL to diversify Manitoba’s electricity exports by committing 50 megawatts toward the project. This power will be supplied by Manitoba Hydro in a broader repatriation of 500 megawatts away from the United States, refocusing on Canadian markets such as Nunavut. In addition to contributing an estimated $3.2 billion to Canada’s GDP and generating approximately $8 billion in revenue over the next 50 years, the project will result in taking five communities — Arviat, Baker Lake,
38
SUMMER 2025
Powered by FlippingBook