Name: How one deal built Quebec’s biggest project — and lasting debate
Uploaded: 2025-11-12T01:52:20.259Z
Duration: 4 min 1 s
Description: When the province wanted to build one of the world’s largest hydroelectric projects, a court challenge by Cree and Inuit leaders led to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, a deal which has changed the lives of many who live in northern Quebec and still has its opponents today.

When the province wanted to build one of the world’s largest hydroelectric projects, a court challenge by Cree and Inuit leaders led to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, a deal which has changed the lives of many who live in northern Quebec and still has its opponents today.

Quebec

Fifty years ago, Quebec launched a massive hydroelectric project that brought energy independence to the province but resulted in significant changes for the region's Indigenous communities. The construction of 11 dams and the flooding of thousands of square kilometres led to the relocation of residents and the destruction of traditional hunting grounds.

The 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement provided compensation and some autonomy to the Cree and Inuit, but the outcomes have been mixed. While Cree communities have seen economic and social benefits, many Inuit leaders argue the deal did not deliver sufficient autonomy, and calls to revisit the agreement continue as both groups adapt to the environmental and cultural impacts of the project.

How one deal built Quebec’s biggest project — and lasting debate

This land has undergone enormous change thanks to a deal struck exactly 50 years ago. It was an agreement that brought energy independence to the province. Hydro-Quebec has already reshaped the land into a vast industrial powerhouse. But it's also had a massive impact on those who call northern Quebec home. People like Margaret Fireman. She was forced to leave her childhood home on Fort George Island when her whole community was relocated to the mainland. Hydro-Quebec had started building massive dams and there was a risk the island could be flooded. We thought it was like a matter of urgency. You know, your island is going to disappear. You have to move from here. You're in the way. This all started in 1971 when Liberal Premier Robert Bourassa announced his vision for a mega project. The plan was to draw water from several rivers and feed them into La Grande River, where a network of 11 hydroelectric dams would be built. Thousands of square kilometres of land would be flooded to create reservoirs. It was a grand vision. But Bourassa forgot one important thing. He forgot to ask the people who lived on the land, the Cree and the Inuit. I couldn't believe that the government wanted to do this without asking how we felt about it. Especially not asking for our permission. Because this was our land. The government in Hydro-Quebec started work on the project anyway, so the Cree and Inuit turned to the courts. It was a David versus Goliath legal battle. But in 1973, the Indigenous communities obtained a historic judgment ordering the province to stop all work and consult. The Cree and Inuit lost on appeal, but Bourassa decided to consult anyways. And months of negotiation finally brought the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in 1975. The project would take decades to complete. Hydro-Quebec has blocked rivers, stopped their flow, and changed their direction. It has flooded and destroyed hunting grounds as big as Connecticut. Ultimately, the project would provide massive amounts of electricity to the province and be the key to its economic future. And in exchange for ceding much of their territory and giving up rights to develop the land, the Cree and Inuit were given cash compensation and more autonomy to make their own decisions in key areas. We have Section 16, the education. We have justice, policing, economic development. So these are just some of the key sections that have, I guess, flourished, that have benefited some of our communities, many of our communities. Not all of it has worked out well. While Cree communities have mostly thrived economically and socially, Inuit communities haven't seen the same impact. Some Inuit say the deal never gave them enough autonomy. They kept the governance side of it. They kept the actual power on their side, but they never let go of that. That's the problem. As he crosses a nearby river, the water level much lower than when he was young, a direct result of Hydro-Quebec projects, Watt says the deal needs to be reopened and renegotiated. And he's working on a new court challenge. Both the Inuit and the Cree have had to learn to live with the changes to the land, which is probably the most painful legacy of this deal. This used to be a river. Now it's a big body of water. You know, it's artificial.

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