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The Ehattesaht First Nation was immersed in the drama surrounding a trapped, orphan killer whale calf. But for Ashley John, travelling to the lagoon to meet the whale named Kwiisahi?is wove together her need to help the lost young animal with her grief for her lost sister, Kayla.

The Ehattesaht are part of the Nuu-chah-nulth tribe, which is guided by the principle of hishuk ish tsawalk, or “everything is one.” Feeling a spiritual connection with all living things is at the core of their culture. Deep meaning is felt in the timing of Kwiisahi?is’s departure with the anniversary of Kayla’s death.

“I had this incredible feeling of her being free, and Kwiisahi?is being free as well,” Ms. John said. “My heart is happy.”

Yesterday, the community gathered for a march as part of Red Dress Day, which honours the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

Now, let’s catch you up on other news.

Open this photo in gallery:

Ashley John, left, an elected council member of the Ehattesaht First Nation band council, and community member Auntie Victoria Wells hold seal meat for the young orca whale that was stuck in a lagoon near the village of Zeballos, B.C.Ashley John/Ashley John


Noteworthy reporting this week:

  1. Plastic treaty: Plastic production cap remains contentious as treaty talks open door for agreement
  2. TMX pipeline: After years of delays and cost overruns, the $34-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project finally opens
  3. Power projects: Carbon capture plan faces doubts after Capital Power cancels $2.4-billion project
  4. Emissions: Greenhouse-gas emissions falling, but oil-sands emissions continue to climb, federal report says
  5. Firefighting: Wildland firefighters call for change on frontlines of forest fire fight as season ramps up
  6. Analysis: Endless freeze of federal clean-tech agency is crushing Canadian startups
  7. Electricity: EVs aren’t burdening Canada’s electricity grids – yet
  8. Green investing: Imperial Oil shareholders reject proposal to disclose effects of energy transition
  9. The Narwhal explains: B.C.’s second-largest LNG project is one you’ve probably never heard of

A deeper dive

Can floating nuclear power plants help solve Northern Canada’s energy woes?

The nuclear industry is seeking to establish a beachhead in Canada’s North with a proposed floating nuclear power plant to serve remote Indigenous communities.

Diesel is the only way to keep the lights on in many remote Arctic towns. Diesel-fired plants can respond rapidly to shifting demand and have also proved dependable in harsh environments.

But diesel is unpopular because of its high emissions and the challenges with shipping it to far-flung places. The plants emit sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter – impairing local air quality – along with greenhouse gases. Leaks and accidental spills occur frequently.

This nuclear project wants to offer a greener option – but first it has to assuage safety and cost concerns and compete with renewables.

Westinghouse, a U.S.-based reactor vendor, has partnered with Prodigy Clean Energy, a Montreal-based company, to develop a transportable nuclear power plant. They market it as a solution for delivering small modular reactors (SMRs) for coastal applications. Prodigy’s plant promises to address many of diesel’s shortcomings – emissions, in particular – while replicating its desirable features.

In March, Prodigy announced it had reached an agreement with Des Nëdhé Group, a development corporation of the English River First Nation in northern Saskatchewan. Des Nëdhé's task will be to engage with First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada on potential installations.

But even as Prodigy moves ahead, many questions remain.

For example, SMRs are often marketed as producers of clean energy, but this overlooks their radioactive wastes: Being saddled with a floating radiological hazard on its shoreline could be a worst-case scenario for a Northern community. If radioactive waste did become stranded in the North, or a serious accident occurred, who would be responsible?

Also, there are still no cost estimates available. How would a community afford one of the most expensive options for generating power? How would they manage security of the plant? How far can renewables even can go in replacing diesel?

As the two nuclear partners race to commercialize their transportable nuclear plant, a few Northern communities are already using renewables such as wind and solar to reduce diesel consumption. Will floating nuclear power plants be ready in time, or is it just a nuclear energy fairy tale?

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An illustration of a Transportable Nuclear Power Plant deployed in a protected harbour in an Arctic setting. Credit: Prodigy Clean Energy.Supplied


What else you missed


Opinion and analysis

Jean Chrétien and Mike Harris: Nuclear tech isn’t all the same, and there’s a specific type Canada must focus on

Julie Segal and Rosa Galvez: Canadian banks are not fighting climate change on their own. They must be legislated

Kelly Cryderman: All aboard Alberta’s new passenger-rail plan

Campbell Clark: A glass half-full of emissions reductions

Preston Manning: Natural resources are more important to the economy than city dwellers realize

Roseann O’Reilly Runte: Canada, a natural-resources economy, must remember our greatest resource is our people


Green Investing

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Olivier Desmarais is chief executive officer of Power Sustainable, a unit of Montreal-based Power Corp.Evan Buhler/The Globe and Mail

Power Corp.’s sustainable-investing arm gains familiar new shareholder

Power Sustainable, the $3-billion sustainable-investing arm of Power Corp. that invests in renewable energy, green infrastructure and agrifood companies, was set to announce today that Great-West Lifeco has signed on as a minority shareholder. Great-West, the insurance provider, is also a subsidiary of Power Corp., the holding company of Montreal’s Desmarais family.

Under the deal, Great-West will commit to investing in Power Sustainable’s funds in the coming years, the companies said in a statement. Power Corp. will remain the majority owner of the sustainable-investing enterprise, which is led by Olivier Desmarais, its chairman and chief executive officer.


Making waves

Do you know an engaged individual? Someone who represents the real engines pursuing change in the country? Email us at GlobeClimate@globeandmail.com to tell us about them.


Photo of the week

Open this photo in gallery:

Workers dump blocks of ice into a pool amid extreme heat at the Hidden Sanctuary Resort on May 04, 2024 in Marilao, the Philippines. Scorching temperatures have gripped major cities across Asia, setting new records and pushing urban populations to the brink. In the Philippines, temperatures have soared to 53 degrees, leading to schools switching to remote learning and official drought declarations in about half of the country's provinces. The sweltering conditions have strained power grids, sparked health warnings and left residents desperate for ways to stay cool.Ezra Acayan/Getty Images


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