WEYBURN – Special ceremonies and gift-giving were held on Tuesday afternoon for the official opening of the Pesâkâstêw Solar Power facility located just southwest of the city in the RM of Weyburn, with representatives from SaskPower, the government, and the two First Nations which are partners in the project.

The ceremonies were held at the Credit Union Spark Centre, and those attending were invited to go to the site of the solar power project to view the facilities. Dignitaries included the chiefs of the two First Nations, minister Don Morgan, SaskPower’s new CEO, the vice-chief of the FSIN, and the head of the First Nations Power Authority, along with songs by the Red Dog Singers from Star Blanket Cree Nation.

The 10-megawatt (MW) Pesâkâstêw Solar facility will provide enough clean, renewable power for approximately 2,500 Saskatchewan homes, utilitizing about 32,000 solar panels set up on 95 acres of land.

The addition of the new facility brings Saskatchewan to a total of 70 MW of solar power connected to the grid, with two additional 10 MW projects in the Regina area, Awasis and Foxtail Grove, also currently underway.

Pesâkâstêw Solar Limited Partnership, a partnership between George Gordon Development Ltd., the economic development arm of George Gordon First Nation, Red Dog Holdings Ltd., the economic development corporation of Star Blanket Cree Nation and Natural Forces, a private independent power producer, owns and operates the facility and will sell the power generated to SaskPower as part of a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement.