Newfoundland & Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador Opinion

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LETTER: Group pens open letter to NL premier on concerns of proposed Churchill Falls deal

Calling for true independent review, and for Premier Tony Wakeham to uphold referendum as promised

Below is an open letter to Premier Tony Wakeham concerning the proposed Churchill Falls agreement with Hydro-Québec.

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The letter is signed by Cathy Beehan, Gabe Gregory, Des Sullivan, David Vardy and William Wells. It raises concerns about the proposed agreement’s 51-year term, the absence of market-based pricing, Newfoundland and Labrador’s allocation of Churchill Falls power, and the proposed arrangements for Churchill Falls upgrades and Gull Island.

November 2, 2026 Premier Tony Wakeham Office of the Premier Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Confederation Building 100 Prince Philip Drive St. John’s, NL A1B 4J6

Dear Premier Wakeham:

We write this open letter with respect to the Definitive Cooperation and Implementation Agreement (DCIA) between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (NLH), Hydro-Quebec (HQ), and Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation Limited (CFLco) dated August 17, 2026.

Prior to the release, we were heartened by your statements that you were “determined to secure a new and better deal” and that Newfoundland and Labrador should be the “primary beneficiary of our own resources.” You explicitly stated that the blueprint for negotiations was the IRC report.

Since the DCIA was made public, we, along with others with relevant expertise and from varied non-political backgrounds, have conducted extensive analysis of the DCIA. All have concluded that the deal does not contain benefits that align with the value of NL’s equity in CFLco and our ownership of the Churchill River and related water rights. Nor does the DCIA align with any of the significant conclusions and recommendations of the IRC........

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