The need for more power is relentless, however, and hydroelectric power is a popular option in a country blessed with an abundance of water resources. On February 7, 2002, Ted Moses, the head of the Grand Council of the Crees, signed an agreement with premier Bernard Landry allowing the construction of new hydroelectric projects in northern Quebec. The Paix des Braves agreement clarified some provisions of the earlier James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, granted a C$ 4.5 billion compensation to the Cree Nation to be paid over a 50- year period, established a special wildlife and forestry regime, and gave assurances that Cree businesses and workers would get a share of the economic spin- offs of future construction projects in the area. In 2006, Hydro- Québec and the Société d'énergie de la Baie James ( SEBJ) embarked on a $ 5 billion project, known as Eastmain- 1- A/ Sarcelle/ Rupert, consisting of three main components: Construction of a 768- MW powerhouse, Eastmain- 1- A, near the existing Eastmain- 1 powerhouse; construction of a 150- MW powerhouse, Sarcelle, at the outlet of Opinaca reservoir; and the partial diversion of the Rupert River to these two generating stations and from there to Robert- Bourassa, La Grande 2- A, and La Grande- 1 generating stations. The project required a dam across the Eastmain River 890 meters long and 70 meters high, a nearby spillway and dikes for reservoir closure, as well as related infrastructure, including an 80- kilometer access Hydro- Québec JANUARY 10 www. bus- ex. com 59 AECOM, through its Quebec subsidiary company AECOM Tecsult Inc., has been working closely, on a daily basis, with Hydro- Québec for over 45 years. Among our most recent collaborations, we have contributed to the La Sarcelle project, displaying ingenuity and technical expertise through cutting- edge design tools, such as 3D modelling, as well as innovative construction techniques and building materials, and the Rupert River weirs project, for which we showed infinite inventiveness in order to realize works on the river, in the middle of winter, in the Great North of the province of Quebec while preserving the outstanding natural environment where the project is located. AECOM

60 www. bus- ex. com JANUARY 10 road. The river diversion itself required the construction of four dams, a spillway, 74 dikes and two diversion bays, as well as a 2.9- kilometer- long tunnel and a 12- kilometer network of canals to facilitate the re-engineered water flow. The diversion was recently completed, in November of 2009. " We consider Eastmain 1- A/ Sarcelle/ Rupert to be the project of the decade," said Normand Béchard, director of the Eastmain projects. " That gives you an idea of the importance of it. We build a lot of hydro projects, but this was considered of prime importance for our long-range strategic plan." The utility's representatives spent months explaining and detailing the plans to constituents, who were concerned about the impact of the partial river diversion on the habitat in the area, as well as the human impact on native and non- native populations. " The process took longer than we planned, but we decided to maintain the original schedule for the diversion of the river," Béchard noted. " We had to work very, very fast." To get such projects done on time and on budget and to navigate the often lengthy permitting process required, Hydro- Québec turns to SEBJ, which is essentially a stand- alone project management office working exclusively for the utility. " We can focus exclusively on the project," Béchard said. Hydro- Québec Équipement ( the company's equipment division) and SEBJ handle $ 2.5 billion worth of project each year. " That means we have a huge capacity in terms of very experienced staff that we can combine with outside consulting firms as needed. It's a very team- oriented environment where everything is focused on the projects. Our employees have been able over the years to develop their own expertise and achieve nice professional achievements right here in this office." One area of expertise SEBJ has mastered is in dealing with the wide range of stakeholders involved in any given project. That experience is particularly valuable when dealing with native populations such as the Cree, who fear loss of their way of life due to