Keeping the power on or being able to afford food and housing; these are the decisions that far north and remote communities across Canada contemplate in the face of energy disparity.
Creating a community-driven framework for energy equity and resilience in Canada was at the forefront of this year’s Community Energy Transition Workshop hosted at McMaster from May 1 to 2 in collaboration with the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA).
Hosting more than 70 guests from across the nation, including FNPA staff, Indigenous community members, energy practitioners, educators, researchers and academics, the second annual event delved into a wide range of topics, from energy planning strategies to youth empowerment and the key role that digital tools could play in enabling communities to envision their energy future.
Meaningful collaboration to power energy sovereignty
“We often tell our engineering students at McMaster that their roles in industry will be to serve the best interest of communities,” says Carlos Filipe, Associate Dean, Research, Innovation and Partnerships. “Developing real-world solutions for populations at every level, whether it be local, national or global, is what engineering is all about. Today’s event demonstrates the first step to creating impactful change, which is sitting down with one another, exchanging diverse perspectives and ideas and collaborating to engineer a solution.”
This year’s event focused heavily on the topic of expanding education, training and career opportunities for Indigenous youth.
Training the next generation of leaders is a core value for both FNPA and McMaster.
The workshop focused on fostering connections across educational stages—from grade school to post-secondary—ensuring a seamless pathway for students. Central to the discussion was the development of micro-credentials, certificates and structured career pathways, designed to not only introduce youth to opportunities in the energy sector but also equip them with a clear educational framework for meaningful involvement.
“Bringing Western science-based knowledge systems and traditional knowledge systems together in an educational environment is totally empowering to provide Indigenous people the opportunity to come and learn on the technical aspects, but also some of the sustainability principles that First Nations carry with them,” says FNPA CEO, Guy Lonechild.
The event also focused on the integration of immersive digital tools and platforms that could be key in developing resources for multi-generational participation in the energy discussions.
Digital tools offer the potential to visualize and share trusted, traceable information on a community’s energy and infrastructure—existing or planned— linking energy and future developments in food, water and economic security.
“Creation of an open and trusted framework for communication requires an interdisciplinary approach with Indigenous perspectives at the forefront, experts in community-based solutions, energy economists and technical knowledge addressing both energy supply and use,” Novog explains.
“What we’re working towards is leading the change by creating a trusted framework that can be adopted by communities across Canada, and the world, to optimize their energy futures.”
Research hubs showcase McMaster’s innovation ecosystem
As part of the Community Energy Transition Workshop, guests were invited to explore McMaster University’s vibrant research landscape through guided tours of its leading innovation hubs. Highlights included the McMaster Nuclear Reactor and the Centre for Advanced Nuclear Systems, the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy and the immersive planetarium experience featuring Celestial Bear: The Six Nations’ Night Sky. Visitors also toured Professor Jim Cotton’s ICE Harvest Lab, where integrated energy systems demonstrate cutting-edge solutions for delivering reliable electricity, heating, and cooling.
The tour put on display the wide breadth of impactful research initiatives happening across our campus, giving workshop guests the chance to engage directly with the experts and innovators driving these initiatives forward.
Learn more about nuclear at McMaster.