Quebec hydroelectric development
The article focuses on the issue of the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) in the context of Quebec’s hydropower industry and its important energy and economic role. In the absence of provincial legislation specifically focused on the implementation of the UNDRIP, the article analyses the relational dynamics between Hydro-Québec and the Cree and Innu nations in order to verify the extent to which the components and practices of Quebec’s hydroelectric industry alone can work towards an adequate implementation of the right to FPIC. The article reveals the absence of standards and practices capable of guaranteeing a true FPIC and illustrates a step ahead in the quality of consent obtained by the Crees of Eeyou Istchee, compared to the Côte-Nord Innu. Such findings are followed by recommendations on the implemention of FPIC.