An inquiry into the effects of the Churchill river hydro-electric development in Northern Manitoba, Canada is being conducted by a coalition of churches. At the heart of the inquiry is a 20-year-old agreement that promised compensation and prosperity for First Nations people living in the path of the project. Five First Nations signed a deal with Ottawa to receive compensation for the flooding of thousands of acres of aboriginal land. Manitoba Hydro, a Canadian provincially owned utility which operates the project, mainly exports the power from the scheme to US. In 1998 it acquired an income of C$300M from power exports.
The provincial government of Manitoba and the utility say they have met their obligations by pledging more than C$200M in compensation to the First Nations people, with a commitment to pay more.