Hydroelectric clean power project brings sweet sounds of silence to high Arctic – National Observer
July 29, 2024
Sarah-Lisa Kasudluak used to lie awake at night, distracted by the hum of her town’s diesel generator.
“It used to be particularly annoying in the silence,” she says.
Her home, Inukjuak, should be a silent place, after all. The community is nestled against the harsh backdrop of Quebec’s Arctic region, on the eastern shore of Hudson Bay. Despite its name — which means “many people” — Inukjuak has a population of only about 2,000. Known for its extreme winters and breathtaking displays of the northern lights, it’s a place where traditional fishing and hunting have sustained its residents for generations.
But the once-frozen landscape is changing — and so is the community’s approach to energy.
Since October 2023, Inukjuak has halved its reliance on fossil fuels and aims to eliminate their use for heating and electricity in residential buildings by October 2024.
