Public hearings will continue Monday morning for an independent inquiry into the issues surrounding the $12.7 billion Muskrat Falls hydro project on Newfoundland’s lower Churchill River.
Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams will begin testimony at 9:30 a.m. at the Beothuk building in St. John’s on Monday and Tuesday to discuss the project near Happy Valley-Goose Bay, which has been described as “the greatest fiscal mistake in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history ” by current premier Dwight Ball.
READ MORE: Inquiry into $12.7 billion Muskrat Falls ‘boondoggle’ set to begin in Labrador
During his term, Williams championed the project – which has been plagued by cost overruns and construction delays – as a form of energy independence from Quebec.
He retired from politics shortly after announcing the plan for Muskrat Falls in 2010.
At a hearing earlier this month, historian Jason Churchill told the inquiry that Quebec’s stronghold on the Churchill River’s resources have long blocked Newfoundland and Labrador from accessing elusive energy markets.
READ MORE: Nalcor potentially overstated value of Muskrat Falls project, says audit
He said Quebec has a disproportionate amount of control over the Churchill Falls Generating Station, informing Williams’ 2007 energy plan that proposed Muskrat Falls.
Representatives from Indigenous groups, environmental groups and engineering and economic experts will take the stand later this month.
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