Increasingly, First Nations have been exploring and developing renewable energy projects as a means toward implementing their empathic traditions while creating jobs and generating income for their communities.
As cited in a CBC report, a national survey revealed that “nearly one fifth of the country’s power is provided by facilities fully or partly owned and run by Indigenous communities” in a trend that “represents a dramatic increase in the last decade in renewable energy projects like hydro, wind, and solar power.”
Among these sector leaders is Six Nations of the Grand River, which partnered with Samsung to develop the Grand Renewable Energy Park consisting of a 150MW wind farm and a 100MW photovoltaic solar farm, that provides enough clean energy to power 60,000 homes. In addition, Six Nations has implemented several other renewable energy projects that exhibit a variety of approaches and strategies. Matt Jamieson, president/CEO of Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, will give a presentation on his community’s successful renewable energy endeavours. Kate Flynn, manager of the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College, will host.
Matt Jamieson
Matt Jamieson is a member of the Tuscarora Nation and resident of Six Nations of the Grand River. Matt possesses 20 years of senior management experience, including several years in the commercial casino gaming sector in Canada and the United States. He is the founder of three start-up ventures, and has experience conducting business in several jurisdictions including: China, South Korea, United States, and the Caribbean.
In his role as President/CEO, Matt leads the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation’s (SNGRDC) economic development strategy which has included several investments in utility scale renewable energy projects and joint venture initiatives. Since inception, SNGRDC has deployed $75 million of direct equity and participated in the construction of $2.4 billion of infrastructure assets. SNGRDC also manages several enterprises including: Six Nations Bingo, Tourism assets, and property management.
SNGRDC was awarded the 2017 Aboriginal Development Corporation of the Year Award by the Canadian Council of Aboriginal Business in its second year of operation. Recently, Matt was named a 2018 Canada Clean 50 and Clean 16 honouree in the sector of Renewable Energy.
Kate Flynn
Kate Flynn is the Acting Director of the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College. Kate’s role at the Centre is to act as a catalyst, bringing together public, private, and community partners to collaborate on local climate change solutions.
Before becoming the Acting Director, Kate served as Manager of Campus Sustainability and Climate Change at Mohawk College, where she oversaw the college’s sustainability initiatives. Kate began her sustainability career working in sustainable agriculture — first as a farmer, and then as a researcher. She holds a Bachelors of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University and a Master’s of Science from the University of Oxford, U.K.