Canada backs Indigenous equity in Hydro One transmission line

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne welcomed the second loan guarantee transaction under the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program enabling Aamjiwnaang First Nation and the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation to acquire a nearly 20% equity interest in the Chatham-to-Lakeshore transmission project.

• Main announcement: Through a federal loan guarantee under the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program (ILGP), the Nations will acquire nearly 20% equity in the Chatham-to-Lakeshore transmission line (built by Hydro One). The line is 49 kilometres, 230-kilovolt, came into service December 2024, and brings 400 megawatts of electricity to the Windsor-Essex Region; the loan guarantee transaction is the second under the ILGP.
• Background and additional details: The ILGP is managed by the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation (CILGC), a subsidiary of the Canada Development Investment Corporation; the program was doubled from $5 billion to $10 billion on March 21, 2025 and was opened to sectors beyond energy. The release references the ILGP’s first project (May 2025) where Stonlasec8 Indigenous Alliance Limited Partnership secured a $400 million loan guarantee to enable approximately $715 million in investment in Enbridge’s Westcoast pipeline system.