ProjectElectricityGoes domestic

Churchill Falls upgrades / Gull Island

Upgrades to the existing Churchill Falls station in Labrador (about 1,275 MW) and a new Gull Island station (about 2,250 or 2,700 MW), to be held 60% by Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and 40% by Hydro-Québec, under the mostly non-binding Definitive Cooperation and Implementation Agreement signed on 17 August 2026; new power contracts for the existing plant would run from 2027 to 2077. The parties aim to sign the final agreements by 31 December 2026, and the agreement ends on 31 March 2027 unless extended. Ottawa announced up to C$10 billion in federal financing and support. The power is mainly for Quebec's needs; no new line to the United States is part of the deal.

Status

Proposed

Direction

Domestic: Serves Canada itself.

Capacity

3,975 MW

Where

Newfoundland and Labrador / Quebec

Needs new laws?

No: can proceed under existing rules

Owners

• Hydro-Québec (40%) as of 17 August 2026

  Hydro-Québec, “Definitive Cooperation and Implementation Agreement (DCIA), Churchill Falls / Gull Island, 2026-08-17” (external site), 17 August 2026. source record

• Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (60%) as of 17 August 2026

  Hydro-Québec, “Definitive Cooperation and Implementation Agreement (DCIA), Churchill Falls / Gull Island, 2026-08-17” (external site), 17 August 2026. source record

Events

• 31 March 2027Churchill Falls DCIA end of term, extendable by mutual agreementDocumentAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 31 December 2026Target date for the Churchill Falls / Gull Island definitive agreementsDocumentAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 17 September 2026NL House of Assembly passes a resolution to proceed with the Churchill Falls deal, 21–18ActionLegislationNewfoundland and Labrador2 sources
• 17 September 2026Innu Nation urges Newfoundland and Labrador MHAs to vote against the Churchill Falls dealStatementStatementNewfoundland and Labrador4 sources
• 7 September 2026St-Pierre Plamondon: a PQ government would not tear up the Churchill Falls deal if it is good, but would check every detailStatementStatementQuebec2 sources
• 17 August 2026Labrador Trough corridor referred to the Major Projects OfficeActionRegulationQuebec2 sources
• 17 August 2026Churchill Falls / Gull Island Definitive Cooperation and Implementation Agreement (DCIA) signed; mostly non-bindingDocumentAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador10 sources
• 17 August 2026Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Wakeham drops his promised referendum on a Churchill Falls deal, citing federal involvement and US tariffsActionOtherNewfoundland and Labrador4 sources
• 17 August 2026Ottawa announces up to $10 billion in federal financing and support for the Churchill Falls and Gull Island hydro packageDocumentFinancingCanada4 sources
• 17 August 2026Quebec Innu (ITUM, Matimekush-Lac John): no Churchill Falls agreement without their consentStatementStatementQuebec2 sources
• 5 June 2026NL names members of the Churchill Falls negotiation oversight committeeDocumentOtherNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 1 June 2026Innu Nation postpones until further notice its second vote on the revised Hydro-Québec settlementActionAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador2 sources
• 19 May 2026NL releases the IRC report: the MOU 'is not in the overall best long-term interest' of the provinceDocumentOtherNewfoundland and Labrador3 sources
• 30 April 2026Churchill Falls IRC delivers its report; the 2024 MOU expires the same dayDocumentOtherNewfoundland and Labrador2 sources
• 15 December 2025Newfoundland and Labrador launches an independent review of the 2024 Churchill Falls MOU (Huskilson, Holburn, Wilson)DocumentOtherNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 14 October 2025Newfoundland and Labrador election: Progressive Conservatives under Tony Wakeham win a majority, 21 of 40 seatsActionElectionNewfoundland and Labrador3 sources
• October 2025First Innu Nation ratification vote on the Hydro-Québec settlement fails to reach the 50% turnout requiredActionAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador3 sources
• 4 June 2025Hydro-Québec and the Innu Nation sign a settlement MOU on the 2020 $4B claimDocumentAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 12 May 2025Mike Wilson resigns from the Liberal-era Churchill Falls MOU review panelStatementStatementNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 2025Hydro-Québec was a net buyer of about 3.4 TWh on outside markets in 2025, a third straight low-runoff year (a net seller of about 5.7 TWh in 2024)DocumentOtherQuebec1 source
• 12 December 2024Hydro-Québec and NL Hydro sign a largely non-binding memorandum of understanding on Churchill Falls and Gull IslandDocumentAgreementNewfoundland and Labrador3 sources
• 12 December 2024Innu Nation Grand Chief signs the 2024 Churchill Falls MOU and calls it historicDocumentAgreementCanada / Newfoundland and Labrador1 source
• June 2024NL Hydro's board approves a negotiating mandate for Gull IslandDocumentOtherNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• April 2023Newfoundland and Labrador approves a mandate to negotiate a new Churchill Falls agreement with Hydro-QuébecDocumentOtherNewfoundland and Labrador1 source
• 2 March 2023Innu Nation Grand Chief says grievances over past hydro projects must be addressed before more development on the Churchill RiverStatementStatementCanada / Newfoundland and Labrador1 source
• October 2020Innu Nation sues Hydro-Québec over the existing Churchill Falls plant, claiming $4BActionCourt rulingNewfoundland and Labrador2 sources