Manitoba’s new ‘utility scale’ solar farm aims to spark First Nations interest in green energy Social Sharing

First Nation’s sun-powered project to generate electricity, revenue, expertise for the community.

Fisher River Cree Nation will soon be home to the biggest solar farm in Manitoba — a one-megawatt facility that will be hooked up to the province’s power grid — and its backers are hoping that the project will pique the interest of other First Nations.

Fisher River’s solar farm, located about 200 kilometers north of Winnipeg, has almost 3,000 panels. It’s what Manitoba Hydro calls “the first utility-scale solar project” in the province, and it spans seven acres and was built entirely by Indigenous employees.

The solar array is a partnership with W Dusk Energy Group Inc., an Indigenous-owned firm that specializes in solar, wind and renewable energy systems. The company helped design and manage the project.

According to Crate, the solar farm got the green light after an agreement was finalized a couple of years ago with Manitoba Hydro to have Fisher River sell the energy generated by the array to the Crown corporation’s grid.