Photo: Left to right: Jack Park, minister of energy and infrastructure for the Manitoba Métis Federation, and Lorne Pelletier, the senior economic advisor to MMF President David Chartrand.
By Sam Laskaris
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
Officials with the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) hope to get the go-ahead in the coming months to continue plans on a $500-million wind project.
To meet increasing electricity demands, Manitoba Hydro issued a call in 2024 for proposals that would boost the province’s energy generating sources. The MMF with their partners developed a submission for the 200-megawatt wind energy project they call Fleury Winds, which would generate sufficient energy to power 50,000 homes.
Manitoba Hydro has established a July 6 deadline for proposals.
The MMF is the national government of the Red River Métis. Its submission was developed in conjunction with affiliate Red River Métis Power Corporation (RRMPC) and partner RES (Renewable Energy Systems).
Jack Park, the MMF’s minister of energy and infrastructure, said Manitoba Hydro put out a call for proposals because dams have reached their capacity for generating hydro for the province.
“So, wind farms are becoming more and more popular as we go on in history,” said Park, who is also the vice-chair of the RRMPC’s board of directors. “We’re seeing more and more pop up throughout the province. This is just an extension of what they’re currently doing.”
Park believes the MMF and its partners have a solid plan to assist.
“We’ve studied all the different angles of environment, the wildlife and all landowners’ concerns,” he said. “We’re seeing that it’s going to be a win-win situation for everybody.”
The proposed Fleury Winds project would be situated near the Manitoba town of Neepawa. And it is expected to tie into Manitoba Hydro’s existing Neepawa sub-station.
Fleury Winds is named after the late MMF cabinet minister John Fleury. He died in April 2025.
Park is confident the Fleury Winds project will be accepted.
“We’ve made it this far,” he said. “We made the first round of the tendering process, which was quite a rigorous exercise in its own right. But we’re quite confident given the fact that the premier is pushing for (Indigenous) participation…So, we’re very thankful for that and the opportunity to give back to the province of Manitoba.”
Manitoba Hydro’s current call for proposals is for initiatives totaling 600 megawatts.
“We’re asking for 200 megawatts of that,” Park said. “We’re quite confident that we’re going to be approved. We just don’t know for how much at this point. So, we’re planning for the 200 (megawatts). We just have to be ready and willing and able to produce and provide the resources necessary to get the project off the ground. If it’s less than that, then we’ll just adjust our plans.”
If the MMF does proceed with the project, Park said it would be 2028 before building commences.
“There’s a lot of prep that has got to be done, dealing with producers from all across Canada and the United States and China and beyond,” he said. “It’s almost worldwide, this supply chain for these wind generators which have to be put up.”
Lorne Pelletier, the senior economic advisor to MMF President David Chartrand, said the construction phase would also take some time.
“These things usually take two summers or two construction seasons to get fully completed on the construction side,” he said. “So, by 2030 is when we hope to be online.”
Pelletier also believes the proposed Fleury Winds project is one that should be given the green light to proceed.
“We feel like we’ve got a really strong project coming together, based on the criteria of the process, the project itself, and the economics of the project are really strong,” he said. “And I think the combination of active involvement on the Red River Métis through our government, the Manitoba Métis Federation, combined with the technical expertise and experience of our partners RES, we’re feeling quite confident.”
Pelletier expects Manitoba Hydro will have additional calls to boost energy production in the province. It is believed upwards of 3,000 megawatts of additional power will be required by the mid 2030s.
“Of course, not necessarily all of that is by wind energy but all other renewables as well,” Pelletier said, adding further development plans are occurring though the natural gas sector as well.
Pelletier said plenty of work would be required before construction could begin if Fleury Winds get the go-ahead.
“There’s still an environmental review portion post-approval,” he said. “But that’s where we continue in our pre-development work on environment with community, with First Nations, with our own citizens that are Métis.”
Pelletier said the Fleury Winds project is not the only wind energy initiative the MMF is considering.
“This is project one of several that we hope to be able to provide and build over the coming decade. The potential is to expand the project that’s being planned. But really we would also be looking at other sites, other tie-ins into other sub-stations.”