Hackney Hills Wind Project

Synopsis

A 370 MW wind generation project located 45 km northwest of Hudson's Hope, proposed by the Hackney Hills Wind Limited Partnership (parent Aeolis Wind Power). The area is critical core winter habitat for the Graham herd of woodland caribou, which is provincially listed. Bird species which may occur include the red-listed Broad-winged hawk, short-eared owl, and federally listed peregrine falcon. In addition, the Saulteau First Nation believes that the project threatens a cultural heritage site.

Category Energy

Type Wind Energy

Prov BC

Region northeast

Posted 21Dec09

Updated 24Mar10

Status

Hackney Hills Windfarm, Bruce Robert Muir, March-April 2010

Contacts

PROVINCIAL
REGIONAL

BC Wildlife Federation, Ed Mankelow, Parks and Protected Areas Chair, wildlife(at)shaw.ca

GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES

Project Information at the BC Environmental Assessment Office, Karen Christie, Project Assessment Director, Karen.Christie(at)gov.bc.ca, 250-387-3801, Chris Parks, Project Assessment Officer, Chris.Parks(at)gov.bc.ca, 250-387-2438

On September 3, Karen Christie says in a letter to Colleen Brown that the "...EAO has concluded that the Application contains the information required by the approved Application Terms of Reference and has decided to accept the Application for review." Letter from EAO to proponent.

ABORIGINAL
GROUPS

Halfway River First Nation, Ed Whitford, Chief, ed.whitford(at)hrfn.ca, 250-772-5058
- May 2009 signatory FN to an MOU with Aeolis regarding Thunder Mountain and Hackney Hills. See "More Information" below.

Doig River First Nation, Norman Davis, Chief, 250-827-3776
- Feb 2010 signatory FN to an MOU with Aeolis regarding Thunder Mountain and Hackney Hills.

Saulteau First Nation, Harley Davis, Chief, Earlene Bitterman, 250-788‐3955
- Mar 2010 "not in agreement with project". See "More Information" below.

PROPONENT

Hackney Hills Wind Limited Partnership, Colleen Brown, Director, Projects and Planning, cbrown(at)aeoliswind.com, 250-655-0330

-Aeolis Wind Power Corp., Colleen Brown, see above.

More information

Location

The nearest Treaty 8 First Nation community to the Hackney Hills project is the Halfway River First Nation (HRFN). HRFN and Aeolis have a Memorandum of Understanding regarding a relationship with regard to the development of the Hackney Hills and Thunder Mountain wind energy projects. The Saulteau First Nation is the nearest Treaty 8 community to the Thunder Mountain project site.

Saulteau stated "that they will not comment on the proposed [Thunder Mountain] Project while a wholly owned subsidiary of the Proponent's parent company (Aeolis Wind Power Corporation) continues to proceed with plans for its other wind project (Hackney Hills) in the Peace region." (Quote from the EAO's Project Assessment Report for Thunder Mountain)

Thunder Mountain was approved in December 2009.

Saulteau First Nations not in agreement with Hackney Hills Wind Project in BC Hydro’s call for “Clean Power”
Media Release, Saulteau First Nation, March 2010

In February 2010, subsequent to the approval of the Thunder Mountain project, Aeolis entered an MOU with the Doig River First Nation for both Hackney Hills and Thunder Mountain.