The Kwadacha Nation (Tsek'ene), commonly known as Fort Ware, is located 570 km North of Prince George BC at the confluence of the Fox, the Kwadacha, and Finlay rivers in the Rocky Mountain Trench.
In 2012, Community Power began working with Kwadacha Nation on a multi-phase energy efficiency initiative. Funded by Kwadacha Nation, BC Hydro, Indigenous Services Canada, and the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines, the initiative included energy assessments and retrofits for 11 homes in the community. Based on assessments, residents living in these homes were facing especially high energy bills due to increased energy consumption.
Community Power continued to work with the Nation, eventually expanding its deliverables to include employment and capacity building for Nation members, as well asi comprehensive on-reserve housing policy. As a result of this work, Kwadacha Nation was awarded the 2014 BC Clean Energy Award for Environmental Stewardship and Community Improvement for Energy Leadership
Four years later, Kwadacha partnered with BC Hydro to fund a Community Energy Plan (CEP). Community Power documented the community’s energy use, forecasted future energy consumption, identified energy goals, and outlined actionable steps the community could take to achieve its goals. In delivering the Community Energy Plan, Community Power assessed 90 homes, completed 20 detailed energy assessments, delivered a training workshop, developed a construction action plan, and more.
Finally, in 2019, Community Power supported Kwadacha Nation to secure over $1.2 million in funding through Indigenous Services Canada’s Housing Support (HSP) funding to renovate and repair 22 homes in the community. Recognizing that project success hinged on detailed planning efforts, the selection of reliable trade partners and quality materials, detailed preconstruction set-up, and ongoing construction management support, Kwadacha Nation commissioned Community Power to support throughout the project’s lifecycle. Bringing forth years of expertise and technical knowledge, Community Power helped ensure renovations were executed with confidence, quality, and integrity.
A team of construction specialists, engineers, and project managers worked to support Kwadacha in all phases of their housing repair and construction project. The project commenced in January 2020 and was completed in early June 2021.
