Human impacts of the la grande hydroelectric complex on cree communities in québec

Abstract

This article gives an overview of the human impacts on the Cree communities generated by the construction and operation of the La Grande Hydroelectric Complex in Quebec (Canada) and the agreements signed in its wake. It is based on a number of literature reviews of the follow-up studies which have assessed the human impacts incurred during the construction or operation phases. The article concludes that the biophysical impacts of the project have affected a minority of subsistence hunters living in four of the nine Cree communities. Both the Complex and the Agreement have clearly accelerated preexisting economic trends, as well as social change. © 1999 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.