Environment

The Niskamoon Corporation Environment Coordinator has a wide range of responsiblities that revolve around ensuring that the EM-1A/Sarcelle/Rupert Diversion project is sustainable from the point of view of the James Bay Eeyou/Eenou.  Activities can be divided into three categories:

      1. Environmental Training Program
      2. Monitoring of the Eastmain
      3. "Greening" of the daily operations of Niskamoon Corporation


1. Environmental Training Programs

The amount of developmental projects on the James Bay Territory is increasing at an impressive rate.  The EM-1A/Sarcelle/Rupert Diversion project is perhaps the largest and most important since the signing of the Paix des Braves Agreement in 2002.  In order to ensure that Cree environmental concerns related to development (hydro-electricity or otherwrise) are properly addressed over the long term, it is essential that Eeyou/Eenou plan an active and meaningful role in the environmental follow-up programs conducted to monitor these projects.  A number of training programs have been initiated by Niskamoon Corporation to address this challenge.  Through training, it is hoped that recipients gain a better understanding of the work they are doing, while accumulating formal accreditations that will help them move up the employment ladder into decision-making positions.

Niskamoon has introduced two innovative training programs in the environmental field:

 - the Cree Environmental Internship Program
 - the Northern Environment Technician/Pre-Wildlife Management Technology Program

Cree Environmental Internship Program
This innovative program, which began in 2007, initiates the Cree youth to the environmental profession through summer placements with environmental firms working on the Eeyou Istchee territory.  Interns participate in two weeks of training, conducted throughout the summer, and are placed directly within a variety of environmental companies and organizations, which allows them to gain hands-on experience in this field.  Interns are expected to document their experience throught the summer with digital cameras that are provided to them.  They are also expected to produce reports at the completion of each placement.

The program runs from the beginning of June until the end of August.  All travel expenses and a weekly stipend is provided by Niskamoon Corporation.  The work involved can be difficult, often requiring interns to work long hours (60-hr work week), outside regardless of the weather conditions (rain or shine).

Support is provided to past internship graduates so that they continue studying and working in the environmental field. 

To apply to this program, you may download and print this form in order to submit your candidature.

Northern Environment Technician
The Northern Enviroment Technician program is developed in collaboration with the CEGEP Saint-Felicien (through the Centre d'etudes collegiales Chibougamau - CECC), Waska Resources, Cree School Board and Hydro-Quebec.  The program consists of an Attestation of Collegial Studies (ACS), with the option for students to continue on into the DEC program in Wildlife Technology (all credits accumulated during the ACS will be transferrable).  The program includes pre-requisite training in math and science to be accepted into the DEC program, as well as basic French language training.  The program includes a theory portion, covered at the Chibougamau campus, as well as a practice portion, given in or near a Cree community on the James Bay territory.


2. Monitoring of the Eastmain-1A/Sarcelle/Rupert Division Project

The Niskamoon Regional Coordinator is a member of the Eastmain-1A/Sarcelle/Rupert Division Project Monitoring Committee.  The Committee is made up of 16 members representing Hydro-Quebec, SEBJ, Niskamoon and the six impacted Cree communities.  The mandate of the committee is as follows:

Mandate
Activities of the committee are wide-ranging, and vary throughout the year.  The section below presents a sample of the activities of the committee:

Relations with Impacted Families and Mitigation Works
A main activity consists of maintaining relations with families whose trapline has been impacted by the Rupert Diversion project.  Meetings are held with impacted families at least twice per year; in winter to present the construction, follow-up studies and remedial works scheduled for the upcoming year and in summer to present the results of the previous year's follow-up program as well as to go over specific mitigation works schedules with each impacted trapline.  These Monitoring Committee tours are announced prior to occurring and cover the six communities impacted by the Rupert Division project.

Review of Environmental Follow-up Program
The committee meets on average once per month to discuss a number of different issues.  Namely, the committee reviews the scheduled environmental follow-up program.  This includes:

 - Discussions regarding the overal approach to the follow-up program, namely the implementation of the 97 Conditions of Authorization for the Provincial Certificate of Authorization

 - Review of  the Terms of Reference for upcoming studies, including approval of the field schedule and the proposed consulting firm

 - Follow-up of on-going studies, namely to ensure that the work does not conflict with traditional activities, to ensure the maximum inclusion of Cree traditional ecological knowledge and to ensure communication between consultants and the local communities

 - Review of pre-final reports once follow-up program for the year is complete

 - Evaluations of consulting firms according to relations with local communities




For more information on the Environment Program from Niskamoon Coroporation you may talk with your Niskamoon Local Coordinator or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .