The Latchford Dam, situated 130 kilometres north of North Bay along the Montreal River, is a tourist attraction and also maintains levels for Bay Lake, a local source of drinking water.
But it is being under-utilized from a clean energy perspective.
Canada is investing in the site to see the development of a one-megawatt hydroelectricity turbine at the federally owned dam.
The funding hails from FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program.
“Northern Ontario communities are ready to lead, and they need the right tools to stay ahead as the economy rapidly shifts,” says Patty Hajdu, Minister responsible for FedNor. “This clean energy initiative is about unlocking that potential.”
This project aligns the Government of Canada’s Prosperity and Growth Strategy for Northern Ontario, which identifies investing in building the economic development capacity of municipalities in the region as a key action.
“It’s about helping partner communities harness the power of the Montreal River to generate electricity so it can be sold to provincial power grid,” Hajdu continued. “When we invest in Northern Ontario, we’re investing in Canada’s future.”
Canada is “actively driving a historic transition to clean energy by working to double the national electricity supply by 2050, while targeting a fully net-zero grid,” says Pauline Rochefort, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State.
“We are fuelling local growth and advancing our goal to improve energy affordability, strengthen economic resilience, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” she stated.
“We are thrilled that FedNor recognizes the economic and environmental benefits this project will deliver in the form of jobs, growth, and clean energy production,” commented Harri Makivirta, who functions as Energy Manager for the Communities of the Montreal River Power Corp.
The Latchford Dam was built in 1913 to make river navigation possible for commercial logging and mining in the region; the original structure was replaced a century later.