Film documents changes from river diversion

Brave New River, a film by Nicolas Renaud, Métis from Quebec, was screened at the Hot Docs international documentary film festival held April 25 to May 5 in Toronto. Hot Docs is the largest of its kind in the world.

“I was fascinated to do a story about the encounter of two worlds,” said Renaud in the pre-screening introduction.  The story is about the modern-day encounter between the Cree in Quebec and French-Canadians. It revolves around the James Bay 2 Project, the diversion of the Rupert River to create electric power.
The Hydro-Quebec officials in the film would have us believe the project is creating “green energy,” but the Rupert River, once loud with rushing waters, has been reduced to what one Cree person in the film describes as “a big lake?”

Photographer Ian Diamond decided to document the river before, during and after construction of the dam. He is the son of the late Billy Diamond who was the grand chief of the Grand Council of the Crees from 1974 to1984 and was the signatory to the first James Bay Agreement. Chief Diamond was a businessman who created several successful companies with money from the settlement, including Air Creebec and Cree Construction.

Ian Diamond’s photography shows the river at its finest, and the post-construction shots are a stark contrast. While the river is still beautiful, he said, “she’s not like the lady she used to be.”

A sense of sadness and tragedy permeates the beautifully-shot film as it shows all that has been lost in the name of development. The whitefish, a staple of the Cree, were so plentiful before the project. The annual harvest before the project was 25,000. The first year after the construction of the dam, it was reduced to 3,000, a dramatic decrease. It’s too soon to tell whether this will continue.

Kenny Jolly, a Cree trapper interviewed in the film, says “I like the river, to be close to it, even though it’s dried up.” He shows off his plywood cabin that was a ‘gift’ from Hydro-Quebec, then he talks about the graves with the ancestors that are now underwater. It’s a hard thing to think about, he says, adding he can hardly sleep to think about it.

The sense of powerlessness comes through.

“Our leaders wanted this project for the money. We had no choice,” said one man.

In the post-screening discussion, Renaud said it’s a constant dilemma for the Cree. On the one hand, the Crees are happy with the limited benefits like the cabins and the jobs. On the other hand, the people realize its boom and bust and the relationship to the river and the land has been irrevocably changed.

Who benefits from the project? Renaud said where the electricity goes was not part of the film and when he asked the question, Hydro-Quebec officials were reluctant to answer.

“…we know in Quebec we produce much more electricity than we need,” he said, “so it is for the market.”

Other journalists, he continued, have learned it is being sold to the northeastern United States. As for the money from the agreement, Renaud said, “The Crees are the richest Native nation of Quebec, probably in Canada, probably the world.” It’s billions over 50 years, he said, but he was unable to get information about the distribution. “Lots of Crees create construction companies,” he said, “and they become millionaires very quickly.” No one will talk about the money directly, he said, but he didn’t encounter a trapper suddenly saying, ‘now I’m a millionaire.’

Considering the traditional cultural responsibility women have for the water, it is surprising there were no women talking about the impact of the project. The film is very much male-dominated and the lack of the female voice is a serious oversight.