Powell River, B.C. — On October 9, MP Aaron Gunn submitted a letter to the Canadian Energy Regulator, urging them to deny Powell River Energy Inc.’s application for a 30-year power export license for the power generated by the dams on Powell Lake and Lois Lake.
Powell River Energy Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of the foreign-owned Brookfield Renewable Partners, which MP Gunn remarked is “trying to use Canadian natural resources for foreign gain with no benefit to the citizens of Canada.”
In a viral video he posted to his social media, MP Gunn reflected on Powell River’s past and advocated that Canadian resources should stay in Canadian hands. He expressed that, “This dam was built to create power to the pulp mill which created thousands of jobs here in Powell River and created hundreds of millions of dollars in investment. Unfortunately, the pulp mill is gone, but the dam is still here and as long as it is here and it is using a finite natural resource, it is my belief that it should benefit first and foremost the people that live in the region, the province, and our country.”
MP Gunn added, “We should not be allowing a foreign-owned corporation to exploit that resource, send it out of country, and pocket all the profits for themselves.”
This week, MP Gunn will be submitting a petition to the House of Commons against PREI’s application, which has been signed by the citizens of Powell River and nearby communities. “I am humbled to be standing up for the concerns of the citizens of Powell River who have overwhelmingly spoken out in opposition to this application,” said MP Gunn.
See the full story: read the letter here and watch MP Gunn’s statement here.
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Media:
Sarah Schweitzer, Constituency Assistant
604-764-9061