When thinking about the impacts of
megadevelopments such as the Churchill River Diversion (CRD) in northern
Manitoba, it is important to consider if and how those who experience the
impacts on a day to day basis participated in or contributed to the development
process. During my field placement with PILC, I learned about the value of
meaningful public participation in the development of hydro projects, and the
issues that can arise when participation is lacking.
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
(IAA) defines meaningful public participation as a process that ensures that
the needs of those who are most impacted are prioritized, while also ensuring
that all interested members of the public have the opportunity to participate.
It ensures that the public has access to the information they need to take part
in an informed way, and their perspectives inform and influence decisions. In
the context of hydro projects in northern Manitoba, it is important to consider
that the public who are most impacted consists primarily of First Nations
communities. With this in mind, when assessing whether or not meaningful public
participation has occurred, it is necessary not to focus solely on
western-centred guidelines.
My project for PILC involved reviewing
historic documents related to the CRD and associated Augmented Flow Program
(AFP), and assessing whether or not the standards for meaningful public
participation processes were met in each study. As the IAA guidelines are western-centred,
and therefore not representative of the cultures and worldviews of the First
Nations who are impacted by the CRD and AFP, I developed a framework to assess
the extent of meaningful participation using guidance from Indigenous research
methodologies. This was a great opportunity to put what I’ve learned so far in
my MDP courses in to practice.
It was not surprising that none of the
studies I reviewed met the criteria for meaningful public participation with
the impacted First Nations. These communities have been expressing the severity
of the impacts of the CRD and AFP on their lives for several decades, and
Manitoba Hydro and the province have yet to adequately acknowledge their voices
and mitigate the historic and ongoing impacts of hydroelectric development in
northern Manitoba.
I am grateful that I had the opportunity to
contribute to the important work that PILC is doing on issues related to the
First Nations who are impacted by hydro development in northern Manitoba. Even
with the challenges created by the pandemic and adapting to working remotely,
it was a valuable learning experience and I am looking forward to working on
similar projects in the future!
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