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Members of the Innu First Nation of Pessamit, northeast of Quebec City, voted against a deal that called for more than $2.5 billion in compensation over the next 50 years, in exchange for an end to any legal challenges to hydroelectric development. <\/p>\n
The Pessamit Innu band council had put the agreement \u2014 which it had negotiated with Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec and the provincial government \u2014 to a referendum in the community, located less than 60 kilometres southwest of Baie-Comeau on the North Shore.<\/p>\n
Sunday’s vote had a turnout of about 37 per cent. Of the roughly 3,500 members who were eligible to vote, 1,287 cast their ballots. A total of 63 per cent voted against it.<\/p>\n
Alexis Wawanoloath, the referendum chairman, announced Sunday evening that 809 members voted “no” and 471 voted “yes.” Seven votes were rejected. <\/p>\n
“The Innu of Pessamit have spoken. They do not authorize Chief Ren\u00e9 Simon to sign the agreement,” Wawanoloath declared after the evening vote count, live on social media. <\/p>\n
“Democracy has spoken.”\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec had hoped this agreement would pave the way for the construction of a hydroelectric dam, the erection of wind turbines and the establishment of electricity transmission lines on the community’s ancestral territory.<\/p>\n
The Pessamit community would have received additional compensation for each new project. <\/p>\n
The council had estimated the deal could bring in $7 billion to the community over the next 50 years, if Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec built new dams on the territory. But that figure was not included in the agreement. <\/p>\n
Members had expressed discontent at having fewer than 10 days to debate and participate in information sessions on the subject before Sunday’s vote. <\/p>\n
J\u00e9r\u00f4me Bacon St-Onge, the vice chief of the Pessamit Innu council, shared a response on Facebook<\/a> following Sunday’s vote, saying the members’ decision will be fully respected. <\/p>\n His council’s responsibility now, he added, is to “continue its work \u2026 to protecting our territory, our rights, and our collective future.”<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783952235_289_default.jpg\")
If the deal had passed, Hydro-Qu\u00e9bec would have been required to pay Pessamit $992 million in compensation over 50 years and the province would pay $632 million over 10 years. (Jacob Demers\/Radio-Canada)<\/p>\n