Premier Wakeham Announces Independent Review into Memorandum of Understanding with Hydro-Quebec

The Honourable Tony Wakeham, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today announced the creation of a new Independent Review Committee, under Part II of the Public Inquiries Act, 2006, to study all matters relating to the negotiation and content of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between NL Hydro and Hydro-Quebec regarding the Churchill River.

The Premier was joined by the Honourable Lloyd Parrott, Minister of Energy and Mines, and the Honourable Helen Conway Ottenheimer, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General.

Under the terms of reference, the Independent Review Committee members will be empowered to examine any relevant matter or issue they deem necessary to answer the question: Is this MOU in the best long-term interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador? The committee will also have the ability to commission independent technical, financial, legal and any other analyses they require. The terms of reference of the Independent Review Committee can be found online here.

Also announced was the appointment of Chris Huskilson as Chair of the Independent Review Committee. In addition to Mr. Huskilson, the Committee will also include Dr. Guy Holburn and Michael Wilson. Biographies for the three committee members are enclosed in the backgrounder.

The Independent Review Committee will have four months to complete their work. The full final report will be tabled in the House of Assembly and shared with the public.

Quotes
“I want to thank the members of the Independent Review Committee for stepping up to this responsibility. They will be guided by the core principles of independence, transparency, accountability and good governance. This is a critical moment in our province’s history. Their mandate is of great importance as they seek to answer, Is this MOU in the best long-term interest of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador?”
Honourable Tony Wakeham
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

“It is important that the people of the province get real answers to the questions they have been asking. Residents have questions about jobs, revenue and if this MOU will benefit them. This Independent Review will allow all of these questions to be answered in a full and truly independent way.”
Honourable Lloyd Parrott
Minister of Energy and Mines

“Under Part II of the Public Inquiries Act, 2006, the Independent Review Committee will have access to the information they need to answer the questions before them and fulfill their terms of reference.”
Honourable Helen Conway Ottenheimer
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General

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BACKGROUNDER

Biographies

Chris Huskilson, President and CEO of 5-H Holdings Inc.
An engineer by training, Mr. Huskilson was President and CEO of Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. from August 2023 until March 2025, during which time the company sold its renewables business and transitioned into a fully regulated electricity, gas and water utility.

Prior to April 2018, Mr. Huskilson was President and CEO of Emera Inc for 14 years during which time the business grew from $3 billion in assets to $30 billion, including developing the Maritime Link providing NL Hydro access to the maritime electricity market.

Recently, Mr. Huskilson has been very active in the Atlantic Canadian startup ecosystem, a Founding Partner at CDL Atlantic, a founding member of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a Founding Director of Endeavor Canada, a mentor and investor in startup companies.

Mr. Huskilson is a life member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia and has served on many for-profit and not-for-profit Boards of Directors. He is past-chair of the Canadian Electricity Association, past-chair of the Greater Halifax Partnership and Past-Chair of the Energy Council of Canada.

Mr. Huskilson is a member of the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Energy Person of the Year, a recipient of the Catalyst Canada Award for advancement of women in the workplace, a recipient of the F.H. Sexton Gold Medal for Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE).

Mr. Huskilson holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Master of Science in Engineering and Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, from the University of New Brunswick.

Guy Holburn, PhD
Guy Holburn is a Professor of Business, Economics, and Public Policy at the Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario. His expertise includes corporate governance, regulation, and business strategy, particularly in the energy and utilities sectors. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and authored numerous reports on energy policies. Dr. Holburn founded and directed the Ivey Energy Policy and Management Centre, and serves as a director of London Hydro, a board member of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability, and a member of the Council for Clean and Reliable Energy. He has consulted for corporations and governments in Canada and the U.S., providing advice on governance, regulation, competition policy, merger strategy, economic impact, and more. Dr. Holburn holds a PhD and MA from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA (Hons.) from Cambridge University. He previously worked as a management consultant for Bain and Company and the California Public Utilities Commission.

Michael Wilson, CA, FCA
During his professional career spanning over 40 years, Mr. Wilson served in several leadership positions within the global professional services firm Ernst and Young including managing partner in St. John’s and senior partner in the Toronto office leadership group.

Throughout his career, Mr. Wilson prepared and/or reviewed a significant number of commercial contracts and agreements relating to the formation of partnerships, joint ventures and public offerings and/or related to the purchase and sale of specific assets, business units, commercial entities, capital investments and various financing structures. He negotiated and executed a significant number of complex multi-jurisdictional, multi-entity contractual agreements. He also completed numerous consulting contracts including program development and evaluation, capital budgeting, risk management and forensic audits. He has significant experience designing and deploying effective oversight mechanisms focused on critical corporate functions and initiatives.

Mr. Wilson served clients in many sectors including power and energy, oil and gas, mining, technology, insurance, financial services, construction, fisheries, healthcare and transportation. In addition, Mr. Wilson provided consulting services to all three levels of government, sovereign wealth funds and trade unions.

Mr. Wilson is a veteran entrepreneur having owned and operated business ventures in professional services, outfitting, cable, service, construction and entertainment industries.

Mr. Wilson is a former president of both the St. John’s Board of Trade and Rotary Club of St. John’s East (Paul Harris Fellow) and former director of numerous NPOs and charities. He obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1978 and was awarded a Fellowship in 2003 in recognition of his outstanding service to the profession and the community. Mr. Wilson retired from public practice with EY in 2013 and continues to operate his professional services firm.

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