Churchill Falls, Gull Island bring buzz to Expo Labrador
Gull Island expected to bring 'plenty of action,' says Energy N.L. CEO
Churchill Falls and Gull Island were among key talking points during Expo Labrador this week in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
Premier John Hogan drew a big crowd to the Royal Canadian Legion during the first day of the event, speaking about the future of Labrador and how it will be shaped by the memorandum of understanding between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hogan said he believes the province is "on the cusp of greatness."
"The planned expansion at Churchill Falls and the development of a new facility at Gull Island indeed fit the criteria identified by the federal government in their new legislation," he said.
"And this is not just a project that's a concept or an idea, it's well advanced, investment ready, an initiative that will deliver real results for all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians."
Hogan said an increased access to power will foster economic growth and industrial development in the region, particularly Labrador West.
He also announced an air access program would be coming to Labrador, but didn't provide further details.
Development opportunities from Gull Island
Many attending the expo wanted to see what opportunities will lie within Gull Island and Churchill Falls.
Charlene Johnson, CEO of Energy N.L., said it's an exciting time.
"We heard from our members that when Muskrat Falls was happening, there wasn't an association to advocate, to help them understand the procurement opportunities that were coming, how to learn more, how to learn about the timeline, how to get involved," Johnson told the CBC News.
Johnson said there will be "plenty of action" with the Gull Island project.
April Pike owns Pike's Home Hardware in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. It was her first time attending the expo, despite it happening on home turf.
But with Gull Island seemingly around the corner, Pike wanted to make sure that contractors know they are an option.
"It's a big project that is going to be happening in our backyard, so we want to be a part of that and we want to help supply the contractors that are coming in town for Gull Island," she said.
The new deal luncheon
The room was packed during the new deal keynote luncheon, where Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro president and CEO Jennifer Williams and outgoing Hydro-Quebec president CEO Michael Sabia delivered remarks.
Both spoke of the importance of a new deal between both provinces, and the opportunities it will bring.
"We're going to need a lot of people to execute these projects. On average about 3,000 people, at the peaks close to 5,000 people, working on these various projects," said Sabia. "Our approach to this is going to be quite open, quite collaborative."
Williams spoke about improving the pathways to women in trades.
"It really is a materially untapped labour pool and I think Labrador women and non-binary folks would certainly have an opportunity to participate much more materially," Williams said. "An important footnote is I ask that everybody think about what can you be doing today? Don't wait, right, like don't wait.… Start the planning now."
Williams encouraged supporters of the deal to advocate for it.
And while Gull Island and Churchill Falls were certainly the big topics of conversation at Expo Labrador, they weren't the only developments that people were interested in.
"We're here because this is where everything is happening. We're really focused on rare earth minerals, and then you look at the high purity iron ore opportunity … it's in high demand," said Scott Penney, CEO of the Port of Argentia.
"So that's what really precipitated the interest in coming here this year, and then when Gull Island got announced in December, we were like OK now this makes perfect sense for us."
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