Project Spotlight: Wicehtowak Solar Project
- Jul 16
- 2 min read
The Wicehtowak Solar Project is a 32.4 MW solar farm under construction near Bethune, Saskatchewan. The project features 100% Indigenous ownership by George Gordon First Nation through its economic development corporation. It is one of the largest fully Indigenous-owned clean energy initiatives in the country and represents a unique development model in Saskatchewan.
Project Overview
The Wicehtowak Solar Project is located near Bethune, Saskatchewan, in Treaty 4 territory northwest of Regina. It is developed and wholly owned by George Gordon First Nation through George Gordon Developments Ltd., which operates the project through Wicehtowak Solar Ltd. A sod-turning ceremony was held August 26, 2025, with construction — carried out by Worley Canada Construction — now underway and an anticipated in-service date of late 2026. All of the facility's power is contracted to K+S Potash Canada's Bethune mine site under a 30-year Power Purchase Agreement, delivered via SaskPower's transmission grid. The project is the first developed under SaskPower's new Renewable Access Service, which allows large industrial customers to contract directly with an independent power producer of their choice while using SaskPower's existing grid infrastructure.
Project Details
Location: Bethune, Saskatchewan
Technology: Solar
Capacity: 32.4 MW
Status: Under construction; anticipated in-service late 2026
Estimated Cost: $82 million
Industry Partner / Off-taker: K+S Potash Canada (Bethune mine)
Indigenous Owner: George Gordon First Nation
Indigenous Ownership
Wicehtowak Solar is wholly owned and operated by George Gordon First Nation through GGDL's project company, Wicehtowak Solar Ltd. The Canada Infrastructure Bank has confirmed it as the CIB's first 100% First Nation-led clean power loan, and project partner Worley Canada has described it as Canada's largest fully Indigenous-owned clean energy initiative to date.
"Wicehtowak Solar represents what's possible when Indigenous leadership and industrial innovation come together." Don Ross, CEO, George Gordon Developments Ltd.
Financial Details
Wicehtowak Solar's $82 million capital stack draws on federal, provincial, and private sources:
Canada Infrastructure Bank: $42 million loan
Natural Resources Canada: over $33 million through the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program
Indigenous Services Canada: $432,400 through the Strategic Partnerships Initiative and Community Opportunity Readiness Program
Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation: a loan guarantee of up to $7 million to GGDL, supporting GGDL's own equity investment, arranged alongside the Bank of Montreal
Why This Project Matters
Full ownership, not a joint venture. Wicehtowak Solar is wholly owned by George Gordon First Nation — a rarer model that carries the full economic upside, but also the full development risk, for the Nation.
Indigenous ownership built into a new procurement mechanism. SaskPower's Renewable Access Service is a new pathway letting industrial customers contract directly with an independent power producer.
Indigenous Energy Ownership Tracker
Wicehtowak Solar is one of the many Indigenous-owned power projects tracked in IEM's Indigenous Energy Ownership Tracker (IEOT). It was built to centralize project ownership details, identify partnership models, and improve transparency across Canada's energy transition.
🔗 Explore the IEOT:
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