Latest news with #EskasoniFirstNation
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Solar project melting away energy costs for Sydney cold storage facility
Sunshine is helping a storage facility in Sydney, N.S., reduce its power bill by up to 40 per cent. Eskasoni Cold Logistics stores frozen, cold and dry goods, which can include anything from satellite dishes to blueberries, but the bulk of its storage is frozen fish products. Thanks to the recent addition of more than 1,300 ground-mounted solar panels through a government-funded solar energy initiative, up to 40 per cent of the facility's energy use is offset by solar power. The project was celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on June 23. "The fact that we're just using natural sunlight to drive power is a good thing," said co-owner Jim Gillis. Gillis and his brother Allan purchased the facility in 2017 in partnership with the Eskasoni First Nation. Steve Parsons, the CEO of Eskasoni's corporate division and the lead on the community's renewable energy efforts, says the project resulted from another partnership between Eskasoni and Natural Forces Solar, an independent renewable energy power producer in Halifax. That partnership qualified the storage facility for the solar panel installation under the province's Green Choice Program, which aims to help large-scale electricity customers transition to clean energy. According to Eskasoni's corporate division, the 583-kilowatt solar system was the result of a $1.85-million investment, with $1.1 million from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, $570,000 from Eskasoni, $128,000 from the province and $72,000 from Efficiency Nova Scotia. Parsons said the facility can store up to 2.3 million kilograms of frozen fish products, which requires a constant temperature of about –23 C. The facility also provides live lobster storage and can hold up to 113,000 kilograms at once. The lobsters require a constant filtered water flow at about 3 C to remain dormant. Parsons said the cost to run those systems adds up, so the solar energy project will make a big difference on the monthly bill. "Based on the estimates and our typical, average sun patterns, we should be able to save 35 to 40 per cent on an ongoing, consistent basis," he said. That represents about $8,000 a month, Parsons said, noting the project has created jobs in the community as well, with 10 band members trained as certified installers of solar ground-mount systems. Gillis, who is also general manager of Live Stor Sydney, which operates out of the facility, said the solar system was only brought online a few months ago, but it's already making a difference on the power bill and the building's efficiency. The facility still relies on Nova Scotia Power for at least 60 per cent of its energy consumption, but Parsons said he hopes there will be more clean energy opportunities for the facility in the future. Gillis is also excited about what lies ahead. "I know it's new, the solar panel systems are starting to crop up. I see them a lot on houses now," he said. "So I think it's the future and no time like now to jump on." MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
06-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Solar project melting away energy costs for Sydney cold storage facility
Sunshine is helping a storage facility in Sydney, N.S., reduce its power bill by up to 40 per cent. Eskasoni Cold Logistics stores frozen, cold and dry goods, which can include anything from satellite dishes to blueberries, but the bulk of its storage is frozen fish products. Thanks to the recent addition of more than 1,300 ground-mounted solar panels through a government-funded solar energy initiative, up to 40 per cent of the facility's energy use is offset by solar power. The project was celebrated with a ceremonial ribbon cutting on June 23. "The fact that we're just using natural sunlight to drive power is a good thing," said co-owner Jim Gillis. Gillis and his brother Allan purchased the facility in 2017 in partnership with the Eskasoni First Nation. Steve Parsons, the CEO of Eskasoni's corporate division and the lead on the community's renewable energy efforts, says the project resulted from another partnership between Eskasoni and Natural Forces Solar, an independent renewable energy power producer in Halifax. That partnership qualified the storage facility for the solar panel installation under the province's Green Choice Program, which aims to help large-scale electricity customers transition to clean energy. According to Eskasoni's corporate division, the 583-kilowatt solar system was the result of a $1.85-million investment, with $1.1 million from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, $570,000 from Eskasoni, $128,000 from the province and $72,000 from Efficiency Nova Scotia. Parsons said the facility can store up to 2.3 million kilograms of frozen fish products, which requires a constant temperature of about –23 C. The facility also provides live lobster storage and can hold up to 113,000 kilograms at once. The lobsters require a constant filtered water flow at about 3 C to remain dormant. Parsons said the cost to run those systems adds up, so the solar energy project will make a big difference on the monthly bill. "Based on the estimates and our typical, average sun patterns, we should be able to save 35 to 40 per cent on an ongoing, consistent basis," he said. That represents about $8,000 a month, Parsons said, noting the project has created jobs in the community as well, with 10 band members trained as certified installers of solar ground-mount systems. Gillis, who is also general manager of Live Stor Sydney, which operates out of the facility, said the solar system was only brought online a few months ago, but it's already making a difference on the power bill and the building's efficiency. The facility still relies on Nova Scotia Power for at least 60 per cent of its energy consumption, but Parsons said he hopes there will be more clean energy opportunities for the facility in the future. Gillis is also excited about what lies ahead. "I know it's new, the solar panel systems are starting to crop up. I see them a lot on houses now," he said. "So I think it's the future and no time like now to jump on."
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sunrise ceremonies, cultural festivals, and community events across Canada mark the celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Day
Why is National Indigenous Peoples Day celebrated? Live Events Prime Minister Mark Carney's statement Celebration across the country (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Songs and drumbeats echoed along the shoreline as the sun rose over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday morning(June 22). About 40 people gathered near Louisbourg to take part in a Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony, led by residential school survivor and Eskasoni First Nation Elder Lottie Johnson, marking the beginning of National Indigenous Peoples Day across Canada.'It's a very special time. It's quiet, and as the sun comes up, you see the creation of the creator,' Johnson said. 'Everything is so beautiful, and it's like almost-new again. That's where you get the hope and the will to go on.'The day, celebrated annually on June 21, the summer solstice, honors the history, cultures, and achievements of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. First recognized in 1996, the national event now includes hundreds of community-led gatherings and Indigenous Peoples Day was first proclaimed by the former Governor General, Roméo LeBlanc, in 1996. It is a statutory holiday in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, and is increasingly recognized as a vital part of Canada's broader journey toward truth and reconciliation Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement reaffirming the federal government's commitment to reconciliation as he said, 'Supporting Indigenous communities, advancing self-determination, implementing treaties, and creating generational wealth and prosperity are central to our commitment. The government will work in full partnership with Indigenous Peoples advancing shared priorities such as health care, food security, housing, education, economic prosperity, conservation, climate action and emergency management.'In Winnipeg, the Forks hosted the opening of Many Nations, One Heartbeat, an 11-day cultural festival featuring Indigenous music, fashion, games, and crafts. Organizers said the festival also honors communities displaced by ongoing wildfires in Vancouver, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation unveiled a six-metre house post by artist Zac George outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The city also hosted its third annual Downtown Eastside block party, transforming East Hastings Street into a celebration of Indigenous art, food, and North Slave Métis Alliance in Yellowknife served freshly caught whitefish from Great Slave Lake at a community fish fry, while in Whitehorse, residents enjoyed a jigging contest and bannock bake-off at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. Governor General Mary Simon of Ottawa welcomed youth to Rideau Hall, where they planted heart-shaped messages in a memorial 'heart garden' to honor victims and survivors of residential schools. 'Each heart is a symbol of our collective responsibility,' her office were also held in Toronto, Montreal, Saskatoon, Regina, St. John's, Charlottetown, and beyond, often featuring powwows, music, dancing, and traditional ceremonies.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony near Louisbourg starts National Indigenous Peoples Day
About 40 people gathered at the break of dawn Saturday along the Atlantic coast near Louisbourg, N.S., for a Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony to kick off National Indigenous Peoples Day. The ceremony was led by Eskasoni First Nation Elder Lottie Johnson, who said it's meant for all people to share. But as a residential school survivor, Johnson said the ceremony holds extra meaning for her. "It's a very special time. It's quiet and as the sun comes up, you see the creation of [the] creator. Everything is so beautiful and it's like almost-new again. That's where you get the hope and the will to go on." Johnson regularly conducts the sunrise ceremony and said dawn is a good time to connect with the Earth and to pray. National Indigenous Peoples Day did not exist when she went to the residential school in Shubenacadie, but June 21 and the summer solstice hold special meaning for many of those who went. "June 21 was Freedom Day, what they called it," she said. "That was the day you get to go home for the summer. But not all of the kids went home. Some of them had no places to go, so they stayed." The sunrise ceremony, which is sacred and cannot be recorded, was organized by Allison Bernard Memorial High School teacher Jonathan Cox, along with other members of his union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada. He said holding the ceremony at Louisbourg is an important part of reconciliation, honouring the original inhabitants of what is now Canada. "It's not just a checkbox. It's something we need to do — all the settlers, colonizers, Mi'kmaq, non-Mi'kmaq, visitors." The union's first sunrise ceremony was held last year in a clearing by a look-off not far from the historic Louisbourg lighthouse, which was being refurbished at the time. The beacon is on the site of the first lighthouse in Canada, lit in 1734 by the French at the entrance to the harbour across from what is now the Fortress of Louisbourg. Now that the work on the existing structure has finished, the sunrise ceremony was held east of the lighthouse on a small cape looking out over the cold North Atlantic Ocean. Before dawn, it was windy and cold, with the ceremony conducted in a huddle using a couple of large vehicles as windbreaks. Not long after the ceremony, the clouds broke up and the sun came out. Cox said despite the cold, everything was as it should be. The Mi'kmaq are known as the People of the Dawn and they call Cape Breton Island Unama'ki, the Land of Fog. "It is a perfect way to start this day," he said. "This should be a national holiday, but we'll start with ceremonies like this, so that people can celebrate heritage." "I don't think there's a better place anywhere, period, to see the sun come up." MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
21-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony near Louisbourg starts National Indigenous Peoples Day
About 40 people gathered at the break of dawn Saturday along the Atlantic coast near Louisbourg, N.S., for a Mi'kmaw sunrise ceremony to kick off National Indigenous Peoples Day. The ceremony was led by Eskasoni First Nation Elder Lottie Johnson, who said it's meant for all people to share. But as a residential school survivor, Johnson said the ceremony holds extra meaning for her. "It's a very special time. It's quiet and as the sun comes up, you see the creation of [the] creator. Everything is so beautiful and it's like almost-new again. That's where you get the hope and the will to go on." Johnson regularly conducts the sunrise ceremony and said dawn is a good time to connect with the Earth and to pray. National Indigenous Peoples Day did not exist when she went to the residential school in Shubenacadie, but June 21 and the summer solstice hold special meaning for many of those who went. "June 21 was Freedom Day, what they called it," she said. "That was the day you get to go home for the summer. But not all of the kids went home. Some of them had no places to go, so they stayed." The sunrise ceremony, which is sacred and cannot be recorded, was organized by Allison Bernard Memorial High School teacher Jonathan Cox, along with other members of his union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada. He said holding the ceremony at Louisbourg is an important part of reconciliation, honouring the original inhabitants of what is now Canada. "It's not just a checkbox. It's something we need to do — all the settlers, colonizers, Mi'kmaq, non-Mi'kmaq, visitors." The union's first sunrise ceremony was held last year in a clearing by a look-off not far from the historic Louisbourg lighthouse, which was being refurbished at the time. The beacon is on the site of the first lighthouse in Canada, lit in 1734 by the French at the entrance to the harbour across from what is now the Fortress of Louisbourg. Now that the work on the existing structure has finished, the sunrise ceremony was held east of the lighthouse on a small cape looking out over the cold North Atlantic Ocean. Before dawn, it was windy and cold, with the ceremony conducted in a huddle using a couple of large vehicles as windbreaks. Not long after the ceremony, the clouds broke up and the sun came out. Cox said despite the cold, everything was as it should be. The Mi'kmaq are known as the People of the Dawn and they call Cape Breton Island Unama'ki, the Land of Fog. "It is a perfect way to start this day," he said. "This should be a national holiday, but we'll start with ceremonies like this, so that people can celebrate heritage." "I don't think there's a better place anywhere, period, to see the sun come up."
