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Friday 03.09.2010

Harper in Yukon

Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper signed off on the federal government's contribution to Yukon Energy Corp.'s $160-million upgrade to its Mayo hydroelectric dam on Friday.

Canada's prime minister Stephen Harper signed off on the federal government's contribution to Yukon Energy Corp.'s $160-million upgrade to its Mayo hydroelectric dam on Friday, the final day of his northern tour.


Harper boarded a helicopter Friday morning to tour the Wareham hydro dam near the central Yukon community of Mayo, overlooking the scenic Stewart River. He was joined by Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie and Yukon Energy officials.

In May, the federal government said it would commit $71 million toward expanding the Mayo facility. That funding was the first to be announced under its $1-billion Green Infrastructure Fund.

As many as 300 people will work on building a new powerhouse downstream from an existing facility, adding an extra six megawatts to the existing power grid.

Workers will also add new transmission lines to the existing Carmacks-Stewart electricity grid. The expansion will finally join the territory's northern and southern grids, which will lead to a more stable system.

Preliminary site work is expected to get underway later this year. The expansion is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011.

Harper said the project is a perfect example of how Canada has the potential of becoming a clean energy superpower.

"By investing in these upgrades to this hydro plant today, we are creating jobs, protecting the environment and ensuring a more reliable supply of electricity for the Yukon," Harper said in a prepared statement.

Harper's Yukon stop concludes a five-day pan-northern tour that began Monday in Nunavut and featured a series of announcements related to economic development and Arctic sovereignty.