Northern Alberta community receives grant to fight high energy bills, food costs

The Alberta government hopes an energy efficiency grant to Fort Chipewyan will alleviate the highliving costs that plague the northern Alberta community.

Fort Chipewyan is one of the first Alberta Indigenous communities to benefit from an Indigenous Energy Efficiency Grant under the province's carbon tax and climate leadership plan, Indigenous Minister Richard Feehan said Friday.

The predominantly Cree, Dene and Mtis community is approximately 220 kilometres north ofFort McMurray, and is only accessible by air, except in the winter when there's an ice road.

To combat the high cost of food and energy, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) has announced plans to open its own grocery store in the community this spring. It will compete with the Northern Store that's owned by the North West Company.

• Rocketing food prices at northern hamlet's only store annoy residents

The ACFN will receive a $636,460 grant, Feehan said in Fort Chipewyan, which will be used tooutfit thenew grocery store and six houses new houses with energy efficient appliances and materials.

"If you can reduce your electrical and heating cost by 25 per cent, that puts you in a much better place," Feehan said. "I think we are expecting this will be a boon for the community."

$20,000in annual savings

The minister said he expects the grant will save the nation about $14,000 a year in energy costs for the six homes and $6,000 a year for the store.

Michelle Voyageur, an ACFN band councillor, said the nation intends to use the money in the store for LED lighting, better insulation and a high-efficiency refrigeration system that reusesheat.

"It's definitely going to help save on overhead costs," Voyageur said.

Food prices rocket at northern hamlet's only store

8 years ago

Duration 1:32

Residents of Fort Chipewyan, one of Albertas northernmost communities, say they've had to fly in their own food

Feehan was also in the community to announce that the region's only assisted living facility, the Keykanow Elders Care Home, will receive $1.5 million inoperating costs.

The 12-space assisted-living facility opened in 2014.

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