Hydro-Québec fought to hide parts of 1960s records from Newfoundland government
The ruling follows a dispute over 1960s records tied to aluminum and energy talks, with Hydro-Québec arguing release could affect negotiations.
- Adjudicator Normand Boucher ruled against Hydro-Québec on Friday, ending its legal battle to keep 1960s records secret from a university researcher seeking information about electricity negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Associate professor Marie-Claude Prémont triggered the dispute in 2022 while researching 1967 electricity discussions with a French aluminum company. Hydro-Québec argued the information remained commercially confidential despite being over 50 years old.
- Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, described the utility's attempt to strike comments from the judge's decision as "overkill." Hydro-Québec also demanded the destruction of existing copies, which the commission dismissed.
- Although Hydro-Québec stated Wednesday it no longer believes releasing the records jeopardizes negotiations, the utility has yet to make them publicly available. A spokesperson told The Canadian Press on Thursday it is investigating why the documents remain unposted.
- Negotiations between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador regarding the 1969 contract remain stalled. The Newfoundland and Labrador government plans to release next week a report from a panel scrutinizing a non-binding framework agreement reached in late 2024.
24 Articles
24 Articles
The Crown Corporation said it did not want to derail the ongoing energy negotiations with the Newfoundland government.
Hydro-Québec fought to conceal correspondence dating back to the 1960s, claiming that it would derail negotiations with NL.
The Toronto Star
Hydro-Québec fought to hide parts of 1960s records from Newfoundland government
ST. JOHN'S - Hydro-Québec fought to hide decades-old correspondence about a proposed aluminum smelter, saying its details could derail ongoing energy negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador.
ST. JOHN'S — Hydro-Québec fought to conceal a decades-old correspondence concerning an aluminum smelter project, claiming that its details might derail the ongoing energy negotiations with Newfoundland and Labrador. The Crown corporation presented these arguments to the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec in 2024, then [...]
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