First Nation ownership
From builders to owners
Our partner First Nations are built into the Waasigan project — through agreements to share in ownership of the line, environmental oversight, and a shared commitment to building it in a good way.
9
A shared stake in the line
Nine partner First Nations hold agreements to share in ownership of the Waasigan Transmission Line — communities taking part in the value of infrastructure built on their own territories.
Two numbers you’ll see
Seven First Nations own Chi Mino Ozhitoowin — the company. Nine partner First Nations hold agreements to share in ownership of the Waasigan line itself.
Turning participation into ownership
Seven of the nine partner First Nations are represented through a shared limited partnership, while Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation hold their own separate agreements.
Ownership means the value of what is built on these territories flows back to the communities — year after year, long after construction ends.
A step toward economic reconciliation
Ownership is more than a financial arrangement. It is a tangible step toward economic reconciliation — communities sharing in the value of what is built on their territories, for the benefit of current and future generations.
The benefits flow outward: revenue, capacity, and confidence that seed the next chapter — Indigenous-owned business and enterprise that outlast the project itself.
Ownership by the numbers
Built into the line, together.
- 9
- Partner First Nations with ownership agreements
- 7
- First Nations own Chi Mino Ozhitoowin
- 100%
- First Nation–owned company
Indigenous knowledge guides the work
The project’s Indigenous-led environmental monitoring program works alongside Valard during construction, focusing on cultural respect for the land, water quality, and fish habitat protection. Its monitors bring Indigenous knowledge to the field, ensuring the land and waterways are treated with the significance they hold for the communities who have depended on them for generations.
Their presence is an essential part of how Waasigan is built, in a good way.
The next rung
From owners to enterprise
Ownership is the foundation. The skills, revenue, and connections built here become businesses of our own — and when you’re ready, Ode’min Circle is the natural next step.