If the plan passes all levels of approval, its natural gas assets will be operational by 2031

Sault Ste. Marie city councillors will be asked Monday to grant preliminary support to a $75-million natural gas energy project to be built on three local properties.

Two of the 9.9-megawatt gas plants would be on Great Northern Road within the city limits.

The other is planned for Fifth Line East.

The project is proposed by Northern Ontario Capacity (NOC), a Canadian-based company that’s partnering with Sudbury contractors Beamish Construction Inc. and Pioneer Construction.

Joe Turpin, the city’s manager of business attraction, says 20 construction jobs would be created during the building phase, with five ongoing jobs after that.

Here are details of the three locations, as described by Turpin in a report prepared for Mayor Shoemaker and ward councillors:


‘Brandes’ – East side of Great Northern Road, approximately 210m north of it’s intersection with Schultz Side Road The majority of the property is zoned Rural Aggregate Extraction Zone (REX), with smaller portions of the property also zoned Rural Area (RA) and Environmental Management (EM) along the Root River, which traverses a portion of the subject property, as well as the abutting parcel to the south. The property is subject to the regulations of the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority. Hydro One’s preferred route for the North Shore Link transmission line is proposed to run along the subject property’s Great Northern Road frontage. The site is vacant and remains vegetated.



‘McQueen’ – 224 Fifth Line East – Northeast Corner of Fifth Line and Old Goulais Bay Road The majority of the subject property is zoned Rural Area Extraction and subject to the regulations of the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority. This site is primarily surrounded by operating aggregate pits and accessory uses thereto.



‘Snowdump’ – East side of Great Northern Road, approximately 120 metres south of its intersection with Sixth Line. The majority of the property is zoned Rural Aggregate Extraction (REX), with a small portion of the property zoned Environmental Management (EM), along the Root River. The rear lot line of the subject property is the Root River, and the applicant’s preliminary conceptual map shows the facility to be in relatively close proximity to the Root River. Hydro One’s preferred route for the North Shore Link transmission line is proposed to run across the subject property. The western portion of the property appears to be utilized as a private snow dump. The remainder of the property, including the area upon which the generator is proposed to be located, is vacant and vegetated.


The NOC proposal will be made in response to a request from Ontario’s Independent Electric System Operator (IESO) looking for new electricity supply and storage capacity to ensure sufficient supply across Ontario into the 2030s and beyond.

IESO is expected to announce successful projects in Q2 of 2026.

If NOC’s application is successful, its natural gas assets are expected to be operational by 2031.

It has secured the necessary properties through options to lease.

All three sites will also need city council approval of rezoning and official plan amendments.

If city councillors provide a municipal support resolution on Monday, that won’t bind city staff to recommend Planning Act approvals.

Neither will it bind city council to approve any forthcoming applications.

NOC has so far not disclosed its community engagement strategy and won’t do that until it wins an IESO contract.

“The proposed embedded natural gas generation projects will result in increased greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) into the community,” Turpin says.

“The proponent has provided a preliminary estimate of under 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) over the lifespan of each facility, and these values will impact greater community GHG emissions.

“Natural gas is a fossil fuel, and while the facilities are expected to support local grid reliability, they would contribute to the city’s overall emissions at a time when community-wide GHG levels have been increasing relative to the baseline.

“The proponent has indicated that the facilities are designed to accommodate lower-carbon fuels such as renewable natural gas and hydrogen, as supply chains evolve. At present, broader availability, cost, and timelines for these fuels remain uncertain, and additional clarity may be required to understand the feasibility of future fuel-switching within the project’s operating horizon,” Turpin wrote.

Some other energy project proposals recently received by the City of Sault Ste. Marie:

Monday’s city council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m.