High court will not hear appeal of Manitoba's cancellation of hydroelectric payment

The Supreme Court of Canada has decided not to hear an appeal from the Manitoba Métis Federation over a cancelled hydroelectric deal.

The federation and Manitoba Hydro reached an agreement in 2017 that would have given the Métis group $67 million for supporting a variety of hydro projects at regulatory hearings.

Then-premier Brian Pallister cancelled the deal and said it was aimed at buying support instead of providing compensation for any impacts of hydro projects.

The federation took the issue to court and argued that the government had no right to cancel a deal reached by the Crown energy corporation.

But a Manitoba judge ruled the government was well within its rights to approve or deny the agreement, which had not been signed and was subject to cabinet approval.

The federation wanted to appeal to the Supreme Court, but the high court has rejected the request and, as per its usual practice, not provided any details for its decision.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2022