Photo: An artist’s rendering of the Deep Sky carbon-capture project recently announced for western Manitoba. (Deep Sky/Facebook) / Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
By Connor McDowell
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Brandon Sun
A Westman chief is thrilled with an agreement that he signed this month with a carbon-capture company on behalf of two Dakota Nations.
Canupawakpa Dakota Nation Chief Raymond Brown told the Sun on Thursday that his community will do everything it can to support the project recently announced by the Montreal-based company Deep Sky.
“I was overjoyed when we signed. When I came home, I celebrated for almost two days. I was happy,” Brown said in a phone interview.
“We’re going to go forward with this agreement. We want to see this project go forward.”
Deep Sky’s proposal is a $200-million facility to be located somewhere in southwest Manitoba that will employ 100 people. The facility will remove carbon dioxide from the air and store it underground, selling credits to companies that want to offset their carbon footprint.
The agreement Brown signed with Deep Sky is a declaration of relationship. It means the company will consult with the Dakota Grand Council as it moves forward on its proposed project, said Brown.
Equity has also been discussed, with the possibility that some type of financial return will be secured for the grand council, which includes Canupawakpa Dakota Nation and Dakota Tipi First Nation, Brown said.
Deep Sky stands to gain the ability to apply for specific grants through the federal government in partnering with local First Nations, Blake Russell, a member of the development team for Dakota nations, told the Sun on Thursday. Incentive programs from Ottawa provide more support to promote more Indigenous equity, he said.
“The goal for a lot of those funds is to increase the equity position of First Nation communities in major infrastructure and renewables and the whole energy sector,” Russell said.
Shawn Day, Deep Sky’s director of project development and community partnerships, said that there will be a variety of benefits explored as the company partners with local First Nations.
“Over time, we’ll also work toward meaningful economic participation through investment opportunities, employment and Indigenous-based service opportunities,” he said in an email to the Sun.
Brown emphasized that while he has made early progress with Deep Sky on behalf of the grand council, he also looks forward to potential opportunities for other Indigneous collaborations moving forward.
When asked on Thursday, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Chief Vince Tacan said the community does not have enough information at this time to make a comment. He said in the future, he would be interested in exploring the opportunity.