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Mark Rickard and Robert LaFrance
The Victoria Star

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TOBIQUE - More details on the "historic" memorandum of understanding inked between Tobique First Nation and the New Brunswick governments were revealed last week, but the five-year, $2.5-million agreement is still being negotiated between the First Nation and the province.

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Robert LaFrance/the Victoria Star

Rick Brewer, left, the minister responsible for the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat, and Stewart Paul, chief of the Tobique First Nation, sign the energy agreement earlier this month.

The memorandum announced in a Dec. 14 ceremony at Tobique will see the province and Tobique First Nation work toward securing power generation for the reserve, see more First Nations residents do NB Power-related work on and off the reserve, and see cleanup and maintenance work performed on Tobique First Nation property.

"In 2007 the government of New Brunswick entered into a bilateral agreement with the First Nation," said Rick Brewer, the minister responsible for the Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat, in a phone interview. "Since then we are trying to work with the First Nations. Knowing that the 15 First Nations have been really struggling with their economy in the last few years, we have come together to see where the province can help with that economy."

Brewer said the memorandum and a subsequent agreement was a "win-win" situation for Tobique and the province, but there is no deadline for the final agreement.

"We will be meeting in the new year to help set deadlines and targets to get this job done."

Brewer said the memorandum's reference to five-megawatt power generation is what Tobique homes and business consume annually. Tobique Narrows' hydroelectric station is rated at 20 megawatts capacity, but averaged about half that on an annual basis.

"The idea is that Tobique will own and run a new project and take interest or equity in the (Tobique Narrows) dam, these are options that are not negotiated yet," Brewer said. "If it is new project it would probably have something to do with wind power."

When asked who would be paying for these new generation assets, Brewer replied that a feasibility study would look for funding partners.

The minister confirmed the commitment for training and maintenance jobs for Tobique would see workers receive provincial funding to train Native people for power line clearing projects, meter reading, and maintenance on distribution lines and at the Beechwood and Tobique dams.

The memorandum also mentions "royalties" as a topic of discussion. Brewer said that royalties on power generation have not been agreed to by the province.

"This is not at the level of ownership or land claim. That is something that would have to go through the federal level," Brewer said. "The question of power transmission line ownership or leases would have to be negotiated as well."

The question of outstanding power bills will also be discussed, but the province has made no commitment to write off an estimated $1 million in unpaid power bills from Tobique residents.

"The question of unpaid bills would have to be referred to NB Power," the minister said.

Brewer said signing the memorandum has helped eased tensions amongst the province and this close-knit community, and both Tobique and New Brunswick governments want to improve the quality of life for residents.

"There is a real need, and we need to do our part as a provincial government, and we need to do our best to encourage the federal government to step up to the plate. Hopefully in the New Year we can see more done for this First Nation. This isn't the only First Nation that has financial issues in the province, but it is probably the one that has the most. That is why it is so important to take their issues seriously and work with them."

Brewer said the agreement would not provide direct financing to Tobique First Nation.

The province will instead control funding of all projects once final details are concluded.

The Dec. 14 memorandum ended a standoff between Tobique and NB Power that saw the Tobique Narrows dam shut down for three months before the provincial cabinet agreed to negotiate.

One estimate put the lost revenue from the hydro-electric facility at $35,000 a day, and NB Power trucks were discouraged from going onto the reserve during the months of the dispute.

"Yes, we have a deal," said Chief Stewart Paul as he was about to sign the agreement. "I know there's been a lot of tension, a lot of acrimony underlying the conclusion of this, but I'm hoping that we can get right to the process."

The memorandum also agreed to restore the banks of the Tobique and the St. John rivers to protect vulnerable property and deal with a "toxic" dump site near the dam on reserve property.