Engagement and Consultation

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Gathering public feedback and creating partnerships

• Since early 2017, we have consulted extensively with the community and heard their feedback.
• We've incorporated the community's feedback and ideas, which have improved the project and made it even more beneficial.
• We've modified our design plans to address concerns along the way, including:
• Reducing the project footprint,
• Expanding habitat and public parkland,
• Extending and improving the recreational trail network around the solar farm site,
• And making it a unique interpretive site for trail users, school tours, the research community and Indigenous communities.

Creating a valuable relationship with Enoch Cree Nation

• EPCOR re-engaged with Enoch Cree Nation from August 2019 to February 2020.
• We have had bi-weekly working group discussions between Enoch Cree Nation's consultation team and EPCOR taking place since July 2019.
• A community open house was held for Enoch Cree Nation members at the River Cree Resort & Casino in December 2019.
• These discussions have been positive and led to us to agree we should formalize our relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding, which we signed on September 1 with a ceremony at our E.L. Smith WTP site. 
• EPCOR has committed to continued engagement and to work with Enoch Cree Nation as the proposed project progresses, including on key elements raised by the Nation such as:
• Bringing appropriate ceremony to the E.L. Smith water treatment plant site,
• Medicinal plant harvesting by Enoch Cree Nation members for traditional purposes (as part of the MOU),
• Opportunities for land-based learning by Indigenous youth.

​Community integration workshops

EPCOR hosted a series of workshops to engage with the community organizations and to gather feedback regarding innovating and unique ideas we could potentially implement to integrate the solar farm into the proposed location, should it be approved.

What We Heard Workshop Reports

The input provided has been used to inform the project design and will continue to be used as EPCOR moved forward.

Project objectives

• Integrate the solar farm into the North Saskatchewan River Valley and plan for future trails proposed by the City of Edmonton's Ribbon of Green.
• Enhance the solar farm aesthetics and the natural landscape.
• Provide educational opportunities about the history and cultural resources of the land in collaboration with stakeholders and Indigenous communities.
• Construct an interactive public demonstration site to showcase the Solar Farm and provide education and awareness about solar technology.
• Establish long-term partnerships and hands-on learning opportunities to support educational and research opportunities associated with solar energy generation.

Preliminary site concept map

   
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