Conclusion of the Commission of Inquiry Respecting the Muskrat Falls Project
The Commission of Inquiry Respecting the Muskrat Falls Project, led by Commissioner Richard LeBlanc, concluded its hearings on Thursday, August 15, 2019. The Inquiry was first established in November 2017 and was tasked with a very specific mandate to examine four issues, including how the hydroelectric project was approved and executed and why costs have escalated since sanctioning. The Inquiry also examined what occurred with respect to Indigenous consultation and accommodation.
NCC was granted limited standing at the Inquiry and we participated fully in this process with integrity and transparency. President Russell testified before the Inquiry on three separate occasions to describe NunatuKavut Inuit’s deeply rooted and longstanding relationship to the lands and waters of the Churchill River and Lake Melville and the intentional lack of engagement with NCC before and after project sanctioning. Through President Russell’s testimony, and NCC’s overall participation in the Inquiry, we have highlighted how the Province and Nalcor failed to build a relationship of trust and respect with NCC throughout the Muskrat Falls project, and the negative consequences of that failure.
To read our final written submission, please click here.
To view a video of our final oral summation, please click here (starting at 41:00). The transcript of this oral summation can be found by clicking here.
The final report of the Inquiry is due to be delivered to the Minister of Natural Resources on or before December 31, 2019. Commissioner LeBlanc will make findings and recommendations related to the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference in the final report.