Okikendawt Hydro, Dokis First Nation and Hydromega Case Study

Background on the Dokis First Nation

The Dokis First Nation is an Ojibway community located beside the French River as waters flow from Lake Nipissing in northern Ontario. Dokis First Nation and Hydromega Services, a private development company, jointly own the Okikendawt Hydro project, a “run-of-the-river” hydro generating facility in operation since 2017.

Long-Term Vision and Development Goals

The Okikendawt Hydro Project has been an economic development goal for the Dokis First Nation for 25 years, with many prior decades of advocacy to create the conditions for recognition of rights and ownership of the resources and project. The project utilized existing hydrology control structures: no new dam was constructed.

Partnership and Project Design

The partnership between the Dokis Nation and Hydromega Services focused on building an economically viable 10-megawatt hydro plant to produce power to contribute to the province of Ontario’s plan to eliminate coal-generated electricity. Additionally, a new transmission line was built as part of the project to transmit the power into the Ontario grid through a 40-year Feed-in-Tariff contract.

Environmental and Cultural Significance

The effort was driven by the deep desire of the Dokis People to restore the French River ecosystem, and a proactive and positive project partnership that values ancestral knowledge in lands and water management, the conservation of nature, and securing clean energy and economic diversification.