Grid Strong, Nation Strong - First Nation-Led Energy Readiness Forum 2026

Get ready to power up your energy knowledge at Grid Strong, Nation Strong — the forum where the future of energy is shaped by Indigenous leaders, community priorities, and real-world lessons from the front lines of reliability.

Hosted by Berens River First Nation in Winnipeg, this two-day gathering brings together First Nations leadership, community energy champions, technical experts, and decision-makers to focus on one simple truth: "when the grid fails in the North, it is not a convenience issue — it is a life-safety issue."

This forum is built for practical learning and action. You will hear direct community case studies, explore what “energy sovereignty” means in plain terms (local resilience, local capacity, and critical services staying on during outages), and learn what it takes to move projects from idea to investable pathway. Sessions will cover:

• Reliability and resilience for remote and northern communities
• Microgrids and stand-alone power for critical facilities like water, wastewater, health, schools, and shelters
• Interconnection, project readiness, and how to reduce delays and uncertainty
• Funding and partnership pathways that protect rights and keep communities in control
• Jobs, skills, and building an in-house community energy team

• Real-world context and lessons learned on why grid reliability is life-safety infrastructure in northern and remote communities
• Plain-language learning on solar, wind, waste-to-energy, storage, efficiency, and interconnection, including what to ask before committing to any proposal
• Clear discussion on readiness and funding pathways that help communities move from early ideas into feasibility and pre-development
• Practical working time to help communities clarify priorities and identify next steps
• Clinic-style booth conversations during breaks, lunch, and the reception for education-first Q and A with partners and advisors
• A focus on jobs, training, and youth pathways tied to long-term community capacity

Context, opportunities, and pre-development foundations
Day 1 grounds the “why” and the “how” through case studies, reliability priorities, and practical learning that supports informed decision-making.

Tools, partners, training, and next steps
Day 2 focuses on moving forward with implementation lessons, business models and financing basics, governance and partner-proofing, and practical pathways to build in-house capacity.

You will leave with clearer next steps, stronger questions, and better connections to support community-led decision-making.

Whether you are an elected leader, a community staff member, a youth or Elder advocate, or a technical partner supporting Nation-led solutions, Grid Strong, Nation Strong is a place to learn, connect, and leave with clearer next steps.

Come ready for honest conversations, practical tools, and a shared commitment to building a future where every community has reliable power and real choices.

This forum creates a high-trust space where Nations can ask hard questions, compare options, and leave with practical next steps. Sponsors help make that learning space possible - and can build relationships by showing up with clarity, transparency, and respect.

• Presenting Partner ($25K)
• Impact Partner ($10K)
• Gold Partner ($7500)
• Silver Partner ($5000)
• Bronze Partner ($2500)
• Clinic Booth Only ($1500)
• Community Ally ($1000)

• Tier appropriate recognition before, during, and after the event (web, signage, program, MC Acknowledgement, Clinic Booth Space, Networking Reception and more)
• Alignment with a practical, education-first forum focused on First Nations energy readiness
• A respectful environmentt designed to build trust and support innformed decision-making.

Clinic Booths are practical, hands-on stations where attendees can get targeted support, ask questions, and explore real solutions that work in northern and remote First Nations contexts. Clinics are designed to be conversational and useful, with clear takeaways, not sales pitches. Topics may include microgrids and stand-alone power solutions for critical facilities, interconnection and project readiness, funding and partnership pathways, training and local operations, and community-led planning.

Align your organization with practical work on reliability, microgrids, interconnection, and community capacity building. Contact us for sponsorship options and benefits.

Contact:

Michelle Boivin

Sponsorship Sales

Email: [email protected]

A limited room block is available at the Viscount Gort Winnnipeg (Conference Hotel). Guests must book and pay for their own rooms. Use group code [Grid Strong, Nation Strong 2026] when booking. Rooms are available on a first-come basis and the block may sell out. Release date is March 13, 2026. Call 204-775-0451 to book your reservation or visit www.viscount-gort.com‧

Info:
Councillor Roland Whiteway, BRFN opens the forum with the core purpose: grid reliability as life-safety infrastructure and First Nation–led readiness on Treaty lands. Sets the tone for practical learning, respectful partnership, and action-focused outcomes.

Info: Greg McIvor and Berens River First Nation share a practical case study on moving from idea to readiness, including sequencing, key decisions, and what makes a project investable.

Info: Indigenous Services Canada overview of pre-development funding supports and what communities typically need at each step to access readiness and early feasibility resources. (Speaker: Sarah Wildman, tentative)

Info: Government of Manitoba overview of readiness supports available for early-stage planning, capacity, and project development pathways. (Speaker: Alanna Gray, tentative)

Info: Refresh, network, and connect with Clinic Booths and partners in the room.

Info:
A reliability-focused session examining system vulnerabilities in remote and northern contexts and what needs to change to reduce outage risk. (Manitoba Hydro and technical partners, TBC)

Info: A grounded panel on what happens when power fails in extreme conditions, including cascading impacts to water and wastewater, housing heat, emergency response, health and safety, and long recovery costs. (Featuring Pimicikamak Cree Nation (Cross Lake), Berens River First Nation, Rolling River First Nation and Mathias Colomb Cree Nation)

Info: Chief David Monias, Pimicikimak Cree Nation (Cross Lake) keynote on why reliability is about safety, dignity, and keeping people home, with reflections on lessons learned and the path forward.

Info: Refresh, network, connect with Clinic Booths, and prepare for afternoon learning sessions.

Info: A plain-language overview of core technologies and interconnection basics to support better questions and stronger decision-making.

Info: Gary Selke of Synergy Conversion (TBC) shares practical considerations for waste-to-value projects, including how to evaluate fit, what to ask, and how this can support resilience in northern and remote settings.

Info: Facilitated by Meskanakanik Ltd. A guided working session where Nations can map priorities, clarify next steps, and draft an optional one-page readiness and resilience snapshot.

Info: Refresh, network, and connect with Clinic Booths and return ready for final afternoon sessions.

Info: Efficiency Manitoba session on demand reduction as a practical first step that improves comfort, reduces costs, and strengthens resilience while larger projects develop. (TBC)

Info: A structured harvest of key insights and priorities from the day, including practical next steps and themes that will inform post-forum outputs.

Info: An informal networking reception with clinic-style conversations at booths. Where demand is high, booths may use short time slots or a simple sign-up sheet at the table.

Info: Re-centre on the purpose of Day 2: practical tools, partnerships, capacity, and next steps that support First Nation–led readiness and implementation pathways.

Info: A recap of key takeaways and what communities identified as top priorities, setting direction for Day 2 sessions and outcomes.

Info: Lac Brochet case study on real-world lessons learned, including what worked, what didn’t, and what communities should plan for early. (TBC)

Info: A provincial update on priorities and pathways supporting northern reliability, community readiness, and practical solutions. (Invited)

Info: Sayisi Dene First Nation shares the transition from readiness into implementation, with practical lessons on sequencing, partnerships, and what it takes to get projects moving. (With Powertech) (TBC)

Info:
Refresh, network, and connect with Clinic Booths and partners.

Info: Open Plenary: Emerging Demand & Infrastructure Pressures
A facilitated plenary on emerging demand and system pressures affecting reliability, costs, and long-term planning for northern and remote communities. (TBC)

Info: A working lunch for relationship-building and informal conversations with speakers and partners. Remarks (TBC) will speak to provincial priorities and collaboration opportunities that support reliable power, local capacity, and First Nation–led decision-making, setting context for the afternoon sessions.

Info: Natural Resources Canada overview of federal programs and how to sequence project steps to match typical eligibility and readiness requirements. (TBC)

Info: A plain-language walkthrough of ownership and financing pathways, risk points, and what leadership should understand before signing agreements or moving forward with partners.

Info: A facilitated clinic-style working block where attendees sit with clinic booths and advisors to map their readiness pathway. Bring your project questions and leave with clearer next steps on sequencing, funding pathways, feasibility and pre-development, governance and partner-proofing, interconnection considerations, efficiency and demand reduction, training and workforce steps, and implementation planning. Booths manage their own flow and may use short time slots if demand is high.

Info: Dakota Tipi First Nation shares a practical lens for assessing carbon-related proposals on Indigenous lands. Learn the key questions to ask about consent, control of data and reporting, contract terms and permanence requirements, and how to avoid long-horizon obligations that can bind future leadership and limit land use choices.

Info:
Quick refresh and reset.

Info: A) Governance and Partner Proofing 101
Practical safeguards, decision points, and roles that help Nations evaluate proposals and protect the community while exploring partnerships. (Yvan Laroque, TBC)
B) Keep Food Local, Keep People Home: Energy Resilience for Food Systems
Connecting energy resilience to food sovereignty, local supply, and community-led food system solutions. (Confirmed)

Info: A practical session on workforce pathways and how Nations build internal capacity over time. Focus on training routes, roles an in-house team can cover, and how capacity supports long-term readiness and implementation.

Info:
A short spotlight on a practical solution and what communities should know when evaluating fit and next steps. (TBC)

Info: Closing reflections and practical follow-through, including how post-forum outputs and next-step supports will be shared.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Berens River First Nation