Local Journalism Initiative 15/08/2024 Former Hesquiaht Chief Richard Lucas dreamed of a day when his community of Hot Springs Cove would have clean, self-sufficient energy. After 17 years, that dream came close to fruition with the 2021 opening of the Ahtaapq Creek Hydro Project which has reduced the community’s reliance on diesel by 71 per cent. Lucas lived to see construction begin in 2018, but sadly did not live to see the opening and a long-awaited victory ceremony on Aug 8. The plant, which the Hesquiaht operate, employs four community members and is now an economic driver for the nation. It is an important step toward reconciliation, said Chief Councillor Mariah Charleson. “First Nations people, we relied on ourselves for thousands and thousands of years, and that’s how we survived. And…
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