Canada’s Bruce Power on 25 January signed a supplier agreement with the Makwa-Tron joint venture (JV) to provide construction services as part of its ongoing investment programme.
The Makwa-Tron JV is a locally-based, First Nation-owned joint business venture formed when Makwa Development Corp, owned by Nawash residents Scott Lee and Shane Chegahno, signed a memorandum of understanding with Tron, a construction company based on Saskatchewan’s English River First Nation to establish a fully First Nation-owned venture, with experience in the nuclear sector aimed at maximising employment of local indigenous people.
“The Makwa-Tron joint venture will be 100 per cent First Nation-owned,” said Lee. “The entity will be situated on the Nawash First Nation and will hopefully create immediate opportunities and benefits for both the Nawash and Saugeen First Nations and their respective Band Members."
"Our hope is that our community members as well as businesses owned by community members will be able to derive benefit from the coming decades of Bruce Power operations,” Lee added.
Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck said the Makwa-Tron joint venture will provide a range of services during the life-extension programme. Tron’s experience covers infrastructure and utilities construction to electrical and instrumentation installation, as well as vessel fabrication, among other disciplines.
Ontario's Minister of Energy, Mines, Northern Development, and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, Greg Rickford described the collaboration as very encouraging. "Indigenous communities possess immense skill and expertise for endeavours like this, and this project will undoubtedly showcase the benefits of local partnership, and encourage similar economic development into the future,” Rickford said.
Tron was acquired by English River First Nation through Des Nedhe Development in 1997.
