A proposed wind farm in the Florenceville-Bristol area of western New Brunswick drew support and concern from about 60 people at a public information session this week.

The $200-million project, with up to 12 turbines, would be 51 per cent owned by Sitansisk First Nation, also known as St. Mary’s, and Eolectric, a company from Quebec.

“This is our first time in a project at this level. So, it is exciting,” said Patrick Brooks, the economic development officer for the First Nation in Fredericton.

Brooks said Indigenous people are becoming more recognized as stakeholders in energy development.

“This is our first time at a project that exists outside of the confines of our reservation,” he said. “So for me, that’s very significant.”

A public information session in Florenceville-Bristol drew about 60 people. The proposed construction start date is July 2026 with a goal to be in service by December 2027. (Sam Farley/CBC)

Simon Parent-Pothier, director of development and partnerships with Eolectric, said in an interview that Sitansisk was really interested in economic development off the reserve.

“We’ve seen that interest, and they’re also looking at having some sort of economic reconciliation on their traditional territory, and the project happens to be on Wolastoqey unceded territory,” he said.

WATCH | The CBC’s Sam Farley explains what the project might look like:

The Montreal-based company has been developing green energy projects for more than 20 years.

Parent-Pothier said the proposed site was identified by Eolectric in 2007, and environmental studies have been going on  since April 2023. It was Eolectric that reached out to Sitansisk to form the partnership, he said.

Another reason for the project was that N.B. Power asked for expressions of interest for green energy projects last year, he said.

The proposed construction start date is July 2026 with a goal to be in service by December 2027. The site would be decommissioned in 2057.

With 50 megawatts of capacity, that’s enough to power 10,000 to 18,000 homes per year, Parent-Pothier said.

The engineering and financing for the project still need to be finalized, Parent-Pothier said, and municipal permits need to be secured.

A display board highlighted the project location in red. It’s northeast of Florenceville-Bristol, inbetween Centre Glassville and South Johnville. (Sam Farley/CBC)

Not only has the site proven to be a great wind location through studies and near the existing transmission network, he said, but it’s also accessible because of existing logging roads.

Eolectric and Sitansisk are already in discussions with N.B. Power, he said, and he’s hopeful for an agreement and a finished environmental impact assessment by the end of the year.

The project is on 85 per cent Crown land and 15 per cent private.

Once the contract with N.B. Power is signed, Eolectric and Sitansisk can then apply for a licence of occupation from the province for Crown lands, Parent-Pothier said.

Agreements have already been made to use the privately owned land in the project area, he added.

The proposal includes up to 12 turbines, which would be operational by the end of 2027. (Sam Farley/CBC)

The project site is just northeast of Florenceville-Bristol, roughly between the areas of Centre Glassville and South Johnville. Brooks said the area has already been clear-cut several times for logging and is mostly home to recreational trails and a few hunting cabins.

According to information presented at the public meeting, construction would create about 100 jobs in the area and five full-time jobs afterward, as well as “contracting opportunities for local and First Nations businesses.”

Residents express support, concern

People who came out to the meeting had mixed opinions on the project.

Ajay Bhushan, who lives in Bath, said he was impressed by how much thought had gone into the proposal. He said he now feels he has enough information to answer questions from friends who had environmental concerns about the wind farm.

Citing ongoing issues N.B. Power is facing with the Point Lepreau nuclear plant, Bhushan said the province needs more wind and solar projects.

“I think the only disappointment for me is that where my house is, I won’t be able to see the turbines from my house,” Bhushan joked.

Rod Shaw of Woodstock was also supportive of the project after coming to the meeting.

“It’s very, very well planned, very well laid out from start to finish,” Shaw said, even down to the decommissioning plan.

Carleton North Mayor Andrew Harvey said he supports the project and was impressed by the information presented by Eolectric and Sitansisk.

“I’m a big believer in renewable energy and wind power and solar and hydro and that sort of thing. So I think that’s good for the future,” he said.

Ajay Bhushan from Bath said he supports the project because New Brunswick needs more green energy. (Sam Farley/CBC)

There were several residents who said they didn’t support the project, but declined to be interviewed. They raised concerns with environmental contamination, that turbine blades might fall off and that the project wouldn’t last as long as Eolectric claimed.

There was some overlap in the crowd of people who opposed this project with those who came out to an August public meeting in Juniper to oppose a larger wind farm proposal from J.D. Irving.

The two project proposals are roughly 20 kilometres apart from each other.

Parent-Pothier said the turbines are designed to last a minimum 25 years, but there are cases they can be refurbished to last longer. When they are decommissioned, most of the turbines can be recycled, he added.

He also said there’s no contamination concerns for local rivers or water sources and that most of the project site has a buffer area away from streams.

The project will use about nine kilometres of existing roads and build an additional 4.2 kilometres, which limits trees being cut down, he said.

Project materials say environmental studies are being conducted under an environmental impact assessment process for the province. These include studies on birds, vegetation, rare plants, wetlands and general wildlife. There are also archeological, soil, telecom interference and acoustic studies underway.

Residents opposed to it said they were worried the local area would see little benefit, while Sitansisk and Eolectric would profit.

Brooks said money from the project will go to Carleton North through taxes, a land lease with the province for the Crown lands, and property taxes paid on the Crown lease.

Brooks spoke about the challenges Sitansisk has faced in recent years, such as the closure of St. Mary’s Supermarket and the operation of the St. Mary’s Entertainment Centre during the pandemic.

“So we have to look at other areas of economic development in order to support our people,” he said.