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Interfaith Task Force on Northern Hydro Development

Our Task Force is made up of official representatives of the:
     – Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod
     – Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba
     – Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg
     – United Church of Canada, Conference of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario and All Native Circle
        Conference

Our Task Force is funded by these groups as well as the United Church Justice and Reconciliation Fund and others. We have members from the Anglican Church as well, though they are not official representatives of the church. Office space is generously provided by All Native Cirlce Conference.

Our group meets monthly in Winnipeg. With the exception of one paid staff person, most of our members are volunteers (some participate as part of paid positions with other church organizations).

Panorama of boreal lake, fluffy clouds and blue sky.Click below for:

– Task Force Statement of Views 

– Task Force members

– Task Force Purpose Statement

– Task Force info sheet: "Healing hydro
    relationships"

– Task Force newsletter: "Spirit & Energy, Issue 1"


Our voice
We speak as consumers of energy, citizens of Manitoba, and inhabitants of the one earth we all share. When we flick the switch, we want to know that the people, rivers, fish and moose at the other end of the transmission line are not bearing an undue cost for our electrical convenience. We work toward equitable distribution of the costs and benefits of the hydro-electric system.

Spirit and energy
Given our grounding in faith traditions, we believe the ecological and social harm caused by the hydro system has a spiritual dimension. An element of sacredness flows in every river–the sacredness of life itself. All life depends on water, and thus water partakes deeply in the sacred essence of existence.

We acknowledge that when a river is dammed, its sacredness is compromised. As shorelines erode bit by bit due to fluctuating waters, so do the spirits of those of us who rely on the dams for our daily energy. For us, this is less a statement of condemnation than lament. We view it less as a matter of judgment than an occasion for healing.

Changing climate
Hydro-impacted Aboriginal people are not unanimously opposed to hydro-electric projects, as they once were. Five Cree Nations have signed agreements to work toward partnership with Manitoba Hydro on expansions to the northern hydro system.

The looming climate-energy crisis also adds a set of public policy dynamics that were not present in earlier times.

In this evolving scene, we seek to maintain communication with as many of the involved parties as possible. To this end we have traveled to seven hydro-impacted communities (from Easterville to South Indian Lake to Fox Lake), met with government ministers, talked to senior Manitoba Hydro officials, and dialogued with environmentalists.

Activities
Our activities include:

  • ongoing communication with a variety of Aboriginal people,
  • northern trips,
  • ongoing communication with government, and
  • public engagement in various forms.


In May 2010, we sent a 12-page submission to Manitoba Water Stewardship regarding licensing of Churchill River Diversion.

In June 2010, we held a feast to honour church elders–such as Menno Wiebe, pictured at right–who have been involved in this work since the 1970s. See an article about that event here.
 

Read more:
Attitude
Balance of Views
Church Involvement, From 1973 to Present
Interfaith Task Force
Mennonite Central Committee
Contact
                                                                                                   Menno Wiebe. Photo: Richard Grover

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