Nemaska Lithium mining project presents a dilemma for community

A change to the service agreement between the Cree First Nation of Nemaska and the mining company, Nemaska Lithium, has presented a dilemma over human resource development to service the Whabouchi lithium mine.

Initially, the agreement with Nemaska Lithium would have seen community members providing lodging and catering facilities through partnering services. However, the lodgings will now be housed at the mining site, which is spread over 1,726 hectares of Category III land.

While the life of the Whabouchi project has been extended from 20 to 30 years, revisiting the Impact and Benefits Agreement does not seem to be an option, according to Nemaska Chief Thomas Jolly. The community will now focus on developing its human resources to maximize benefits to its members through the service agreements shared with Nemaska Lithium.

The project is proceeding after Nemaska Lithium finalized $1.1 billion in financing last year, including $130 million from the Quebec government via Ressources Québec.

According to Chief Jolly, around $90 million of the project expenditure has already been committed, with nearly half being made available to Cree enterprises, mostly trucking and construction.

“It is difficult to provide training when we are unsure about which classifications we need to address,” said Jolly, who added that a lack of facilities meant they had converted their own office to provide training in carpentry, motor maintenance, truck driving and IT skills to over 30 people.

Nemaska community member Teddy Wapachee added that Nemaska Lithium has a three-year training and employment plan within its operations.

“We’re trying to find ways to be more involved, particularly regarding ownership, but the company has its own idea,” added Jolly.

Of particular significance to the Cree are other mining projects coming online, such as Critical Elements’ Rose Lithium project, that are likely to take place on Category I reserve territory, stressed Jolly.

“It is a challenge when you are faced with a project that is relatively new to the people,” said Jolly. “We need to develop a strategic approach with other parties, school boards and training bodies.”

However, Nemaska’s small population of 850 makes it difficult to make large educational and training investments.

In terms of the resource development, Jolly stated that the Cree communities are coming together with a common approach. Since their initial relocation during the 1970s as a result of the first hydroelectric development, they have come up short on a few of their community ideas, namely having a laundromat, Sunday schools and a summer camp.

However, Jolly indicated the need for a strategic approach to Cree development has never been greater. Some 300 exploration projects are currently in the works, which requires more resources to monitor developments to ensure that companies do not exceed the parameters of their original social and environmental impact assessments.

“We have already seen this with forestry companies who sometimes overcut or exceed their harvest,” he concluded.