Radio-Canada presents the first installment of a trilogy on the 50th anniversary of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. Access part two here.
Back in April 1971, a full four years before the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA), Quebec’s premier Robert Bourassa introduced his groundbreaking vision known as the “project of the century.” This initiative aimed to exploit the vast hydroelectric potential in the northern region of the province to drive economic growth and address escalating power demands.
The core of the proposal was the construction of 11 hydroelectric dams, with eight situated on the La Grande river, spanning from the heart of Quebec all the way to James Bay, a distance of 900 kilometers to the west. Additionally, three other rivers – the Eastmain, Opinaca, and Caniapiscau – would be redirected to form extensive artificial reservoirs, flooding an area of 11,500 square kilometers of forest – equivalent to about 30 times the size of Montreal Island.
This project marked an unprecedented scale in Quebec’s history, taking 40 years to finalize. Presently, it contributes 17,000 megawatts of power, constituting half of Quebec’s current energy production.
The execution of this colossal undertaking required a multitude of workers, ranging from engineers to cooks, forming a small village transported to a remote construction site over a thousand kilometers from Montreal. During the initial stages, when crews were preparing to construct an access road, a critical oversight emerged: the province had failed to engage with Cree and Inuit communities, whose territories were on the brink of permanent transformation due to this unprecedented development project.
The Unexpected Turn
Sipping tea while gazing at the Koksoak River, flowing into Ungava Bay just 50 kilometers north, Charlie Watt ponders the onset of July in Kuujjuaq, observing the initial bloom of wildflowers, a harbinger of salmon return, as per the veteran Inuit political figure.
Following tradition, Watt will soon head to the river to retrieve his nets and hopefully catch some fish.
However, the river’s water level today starkly contrasts with Watt’s childhood memories, a consequence of diverting water to feed the James Bay dams, supplying half the province’s electricity. Nostalgia envelops him as he recalls times of effortless caribou hunting upstream. Yet, the current water level deters boat travel in that direction due to the risk of striking a shallow area and damaging the engine.
Watt vividly recalls the Quebec government’s burgeoning interest in developing the region and its rivers.
“Explorers had been active here for years, identifying rivers and their potential,” he remarked. “
