$7-million worth of federal renewable energy funding to assist projects in all three territories
Published 3:59 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2026 By William Koblenskly Varela Local Journalism Initiative Northern News Service The federal government is putting $7 million into eight renewable energy projects across Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Yukon. Minister of Environment Julie Dabrusin made the announcement on July 29 in Whitehorse. Planning and construction of a future wind power development in Baker Lake received $1.4 million, which includes tests for windmill operations in Chesterfield Inlet and Whale Cove. Inuit-owned Nunasi Corporation received the federal contract for the project, which uses a portable wind speed measurement device to determine the feasibility of wind power in the communities. Solar panel installation on Chesterfield Inlet’s Noel Nuvak Arena received $729,434. The money will go to the Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet, which installed a 134-kilowatt solar array on the roof of the rink. Engineering to create a hybrid renewable and diesel microgrid in Arviat will make use of $410,625. Kivalliq Alternative Energy Ltd., which is partly-owned by the Kivalliq Inuit Association, won the contract for the project, which has not begun its procurement and construction phases. Solar panel installation on the Hamlet of Resolute Bay’s garage is getting $260,000. The Hamlet of Resolute Bay is receiving the money, which will pay for a 15-kilowatt system. A study to measure the amount of pollution from transport, maintenance and disposal of building materials in Cambridge Bay is receiving $99,000. The Kitikmeot Heritage Society, a registered charity, is using the funds to help construct of a new cultural research campus to document and revitalize Inuinnait knowledge. Fort Providence will see $766,090 go to Big River Services Centre to test power generation from the Mackenzie River. In Whitehorse, Yukon University will get $2.8 million for research on community-led renewable generation projects through training and enhancing power system models. Northern Vision Development, also based in Whitehorse, is getting $42,500 to conduct a feasibility study on using biomass to heat buildings downtown. “Investments like the ones announced today reduce reliance on diesel and support Indigenous leadership in shaping the energy future of their communities,” Dabrusin said. The funding is coming from Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities and the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways.