Volt-Age Grant Announcement - Creeburn CLEAR Hub

Lab Faculty Associate Dr. Luis Virla and Co-Director Dr. Sabrina Perić (along with Dr. Laleh Behjat and Dr. Ivan Kantor) received a Volt-Age grant for $1.3 million to establish a Living Lab within the traditional territory of Fort McKay First Nation, in northeastern Alberta. A significant concern in the community is how the ecosystem in and around Fort McKay has been negatively impacted by industrial activity. The environmental effects, in turn, put Fort McKay’s treaty rights at risk. The long-term goal of the project is to restore and monitor the environment using clean, renewable-powered technology, as opposed to tools that require fossil fuels and other unsustainable energy sources, while also prioritizing the Indigenous leadership and knowledge. This project is led by collaborators Cece Fitzpatrick and Ryan Grandjambe of Fort McKay First Nation.

The funding will go towards establishing the Creeburn Lake Lodge Climate-Land-Energy-Water Reconciliation Hub to test off-grid ecosystem monitoring. A major goal of the lab will be to develop reliable electrified monitoring tools with focus on sustainability, innovation, and community involvement. Using renewable energy will allow for these devices to run continually with minimal ecological impact. The lab will also include indoor growing systems for Indigenous plant cultivation and renewable energy systems in order to power the environmental monitoring.

Community members will have the opportunity to access training and resources to both ensure the lab’s sustainability and Indigenous ownership and independence. Through community partnerships with Elders and local organizations, this project is guided by Indigenous knowledge of the ecosystem. 

Learn more about Volt-Age here!