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3h ago

Premiers Push Toward Final Churchill Falls Deal as N.L. Election Looms

The talks hinge on a reported plan to end the long-standing contract early with an estimated $33.8 billion flowing to Newfoundland and Labrador over 50 years.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan (left) and Quebec Premier François Legault meet at the NL premier’s office at Confederation Building in St. John’s on Tuesday morning, Aug. 26, 2025. Legault and team were in St. John’s to further discussions on Churchill Falls development.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan (right) and Quebec Premier François Legault meet at Confederation Building Tuesday morning Aug. 26, 2025.
Premier John Hogan and NL Hydro President and CEO, Jennifer Williams, speak to reporters during a scrum on August 26, 2025.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan says he and the president of his province's energy corporation also discussed mining opportunities with their Quebec counterparts.

Overview

  • Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador premiers met in St. John’s with Hydro-Québec and N.L. Hydro leaders to work on final terms of a sweeping energy partnership.
  • Negotiators are discussing ending the existing Churchill Falls contract 16 years early, which now lets Hydro-Québec buy most power at very low prices.
  • A reported draft outlines roughly $33.8 billion in payments over five decades for Churchill Falls power and collaboration on additional energy projects.
  • Premier John Hogan warns a pause could end the partnership and casts the agreement as a defining issue in a provincial election expected this fall.
  • Opposition Leader Tony Wakeham calls for a pause and independent review of the draft, and Hogan says the delegations also explored Labrador mining opportunities.