Roy Michano has become a survivor of a near death experience after a recent bout of surgery, which took place this fall, and the Honourary Elder of the Union of Ontario Indians (representing the Ojibways of the Pic River), explained, "I went in to have gall bladder surgery," and complications ensued. It became so serious they had to move the highly esteemed Elder into an intensive care unit where it took a few days to pull Michano back to a secure footing on earth.
"I'm still recuperating but now I'm feeling pretty well," he said, giving credit to the health professionals surrounding him during those recent few weeks, "It is a relief to pull through," and, he noted he has had to change a few things like dietary habits and levels of exercise and fitness. "It was long time coming." Meanwhile the winter is upon them on the northern shores of Lake Superior, where, "We get lots of snow," meanwhile the Michano family got provisioned for the winter; "We went out and got our moose."
It was Michano who worked closely with developer David Carter of Regional Power to build and operate the Wawatay Small Hydro Project on Black River near Pic River First Nation. The Wawatay Generating Station is a run-of-river hydro plant on the Black River in North-western Ontario that includes installation of 3 x 4.5 MW and the generating capacity of the station is expandable. The project was completed in 1992 by Regional Power and Pic River First Nation.
Michano said, "We have had two chiefs elected since I put the project together," and economic developments have obviously ascended over politics. He said, "Wawatay is a joint partnership coordinated by myself and David Carter. This venture has proven to be successful as part of the reality of returning the Ojibway community to self-sufficiency once again."
Michano said, "Our dreams are becoming reality and it is gratifying as an Elder to watch these programs and developments growing into the long-awaited return to self-sufficiency," for Ojibway people. At a recent assembly of affiliated First Nations the main focus was on wind power, co-generation, and water power partnerships, and, said Michano, the government connections are working to the benefit of the First Nations rather than detriment.
This activity in electrical generation has arrived when forestry has fallen into a steep decline and mining projects are in flux, and, the elder said, hydro electrical generation is the most viable route to economic security. Michano has seen a lot of new players enter the process, "What we began as a goal to obtain self-sufficiency has spread to other communities along the northern shores of Lake Superior. A few different communities are doing what we have done, and developers are hounding First Nations to get involved in new projects with energy."
The thing that impresses Michano is the new talk about energy development must be inclusive of First Nations, "We are not sitting in the bleachers anymore. If projects are coming into play royalties and revenues will include First Nations." Still he hears the talk, said Michano, from the white man telling First Nations, 'We are here to save you again!' "It was like that 15 years ago when we started, when a flock of developers started coming around and a pittance was offered."
The Ojibways of the Pic River have an ideal territory for hydro development, and First Nations in the region owe a debt of gratitude to the 65 year old Michano for sticking to an ownership position when he started with Carter's Regional Power Inc.. "We have spinoff developments from Wawatay and first right of refusal from the government on future projects," or changes to existing arrangements.
"We have a 50 year agreement for $4 million a year," and, because of the work done with Carter, the investment of First Nation assets will be taking a whole new direction. "We have pension assets of about $2.5 million," in the Heron Bay situated First Nation, said Michano.
Regional Power Inc., in the business of developing, building, refurbishing, financing and operating hydroelectric power plants, also happens to be a subsidiary of Manulife Financial. Michano sees spinoff benefits coming from existing and impending discussions that will occur when the pension assets of a host of First Nations are combined into a single envelope of investments.
