Project Updates & Media Coverage

We welcome Rachel Stevenson, Director of Lands & Economic Development, Wasoqopa’q First Nation, to the WMA Board of Directors! Rachel brings valuable expertise and leadership experience that will strengthen WMA’s governance and support our strategic direction.

The Black Diamond Group Limited is a leading provider of space rental and workforce accommodation solutions. The Black Diamond partnership, named the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia Black Diamond Limited Partnership, was established to identify and pursue opportunities that enhance meaningful involvement, collaboration and prosperity for all Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia.

WMA’s partnership with International SOS, formed in 2020, is working to deliver ambulance services and health outreach programs to the thirteen Mi’kmaq Nations in NS. International SOS is the world’s leading health, wellness, and emergency services company. They have been working with Indigenous communities in Canada for over 17 years, with over 37 Indigenous joint ventures across Canada. The partnership also works alongside various industries in the Atlantic region to provide Integrated Healthcare and Emergency Services to remote worksites, such as mines, energy, and construction.

The community-based medical transportation service is aimed at closing gaps in medical response and to improve health outcomes to community members. Discussions are also underway to expand outreach programs that will bring health education and preventative services directly to the communities. These initiatives will also provide meaningful employment opportunities for community healthcare workers.

Mi’kma’ki-Municipal Limited Partnership
The Mi’kma’ki-Municipal Limited Partnership (MMLP), a partnership between WMA and the Municipal Group of Companies, performs a wide range of civil construction services and takes a special interest in renewable energy projects. MMLP is involved in a number of exciting projects in 2025, including:

The new Wije’Winen Centre (Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre)

Image Description: Wije’Winen centre photos show the basement level foundations construction in progress with MMLP’s crews in the process of backfilling column footings. The other excavator with breaker is standing by to break bedrock for the new footings. The top-right corner of the first photo shows the engineered Soil Nails and Shotcrete Excavation Shoring system installed to support parts of Rainie Drive.

The new Wije’Winen Centre (Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre). MMLP has been contracted by Pomerleau Inc. to carry out building excavation, shoring and related services for the Centre, including the mass excavation and bedrock excavation for new foundations. MMLP was proud to subcontract some of this work to a Mi’kmaw-owned business, Gloade Construction & Excavation.

The Weavers Mountain Wind Farm

Image Description: This photo from Weavers Mountain shows the fifth of 16 turbine foundations under construction. Concrete is poured at night to assist in temperature control.
The Weavers Mountain Wind Farm project located near Antigonish. MMLP is the general contractor, overseeing the entire project. It is self-performing the civil construction work, which in 2025 includes roads and wind turbine foundations. Construction of the substation and turbine erection will take place in 2026. MMLP conducted several job fairs in 2025 for the Weavers Mountain and other projects to increase First Nation participation, including Potlotek, Sipekne’katik, the MEBO career fair in Truro, and the Green Pathways First Nation Career Fair at the Nova Scotia Community College.

Since the February 2025 open house, NRStor received positive reception from community members and secured a Municipal Support Resolution from the Town of Trenton.

The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq was contracted to conduct a Mi’kmaq Ecological Knowledge Study for the project. Other site studies, including environmental, geotechnical, and archaeological assessments, were also well underway at the project site.

By Fall 2025, the Grid-Scale Battery Project had reached a major milestone. All 84 battery containers and 32 power inverters had been delivered to the Bridgewater and Spider Lake sites. Crews were completing cabling and preparing for commissioning.

At White Rock, civil work continued, with substation construction expected to begin soon. Over the following two months, commissioning was expected to begin at Bridgewater and Spider Lake, E-House units were expected to arrive at both sites, and substation work at White Rock was expected to get underway.

The project continued to be framed as a key part of Nova Scotia’s clean energy transition, supporting the phase-out of coal, enabling more wind and solar on the grid, and providing reliable backup power during peak demand.

By Fall 2025, the Wasoqonatl Transmission Line had awarded the clearing contract to R MacLean Forestry Limited, a Nova Scotia company with more than 40 years of experience.

Nova Scotia Power hosted community open houses in Membertou and Millbrook, with additional sessions planned for Paqtnkek and Pictou Landing. R MacLean Forestry Limited attended the engagement sessions and planned to attend future sessions. Materials shared at the sessions included information about project opportunities and jobs connected to the clearing contract.

In September 2025, Nova Scotia Power delivered the Environmental Monitor Field School. Two new hires from Millbrook First Nation were being trained for activities connected to the transmission line project.

Construction continued at a strong pace through Fall 2025, with more than 170 people on site. Significant progress was made on road, bridge, and culvert construction throughout the summer. Civil work at the transformer pad, substation, switchyard, and Operations & Maintenance building locations also progressed, including excavation, forming, and the pouring of most foundations.

Major progress was also made on turbine pad construction, supported by the installation, commissioning, and use of a new concrete batch plant. As of September 2025, 14 of the 24 foundations had been poured.

Despite very dry summer conditions, work continued under permit and subject to strict environmental conditions. The project remained on schedule, with wind turbine package delivery expected to begin in April 2026.

The Trenton Battery Project is a proposed 150 MW battery energy storage facility in the Town of Trenton, Nova Scotia. The project is being developed by NRStor Trenton Energy Storage GP Inc., a jointly owned project organization involving NRStor, WMA, and Aecon Concessions.

The project is designed to store renewable energy during off-peak periods and release it to the grid during peak demand. The Spring 2025 newsletter noted that the project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 1.8 million tonnes over its first 10 years of a 20-year project life, equivalent to removing 40,000 cars from the road annually.

CIB and Nova Scotia Power partnered with WMA to deploy Atlantic Canada’s largest energy storage facility. The project consists of three separate 50 MW, four-hour battery storage facilities in White Rock, Bridgewater, and Waverley. The Spring 2025 newsletter described the project as a significant step toward economic reconciliation, with long-term financial and environmental benefits for Mi’kmaw communities.

The battery facilities are designed to draw and store electricity during off-peak hours and release it back into the grid when needed. Construction began in 2024 and was expected to continue through 2026, with the first site expected to be operational in 2025.