Spinning wind into power : industry and energy in Gitxaała Nation, British Columbia ...

• Main Author: Rodman, Lauren Sacha
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2013
• Subjects: Canada; British Columbia; Rupert; Prince Rupert; First Nations
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0073866; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0073866

Wind power currently represents the fastest growing renewable energy resource in the world. Disputes over siting, disparities in economic and community benefits, and perceptions of landscape change all surface with renewable energy projects. Recently, renewable energy projects in partnership with First Nations have spread throughout Canada, yet limited studies exist regarding First Nations and renewable energy projects. This research examines proposed wind farms in Gitxaała Nation, a First Nation located near Prince Rupert, on British Columbia’s North Coast. Gitxaała Nation has four wind projects proposed in their claimed traditional territory, including the Naikun Wind Farm, potentially Canada’s first offshore wind project. Based on three months of qualitative fieldwork in Prince Rupert, BC (May 2012-August 2012), this thesis examines wind turbine projects in the context of Gitxaała Nation’s experiences and explores the shifting terrain of renewable energy development in British Columbia. Twelve ...