Long-term clean energy created by Splatsin, Sorgent.e and Fosthall


From left to right: Darcy Fear- VP Fosthall Creek Power Ltd.- , Kukpi7 Chief Wayne M. Christian – Splatsin Nation – and Lucas de Haro – CEO Sorgent.e Hydro Canada- signing the agreement.

Enderby, BC, November 13th 2014, Splatsin, Sorgent.e Hydro Canada Corporation and Fosthall Creek Power Ltd. have signed an Impact Benefit Agreement, the first of its kind in the area, that will bring economic and social benefits to Splatsin.

Back in 2001, a neighbour from Crescent Valley, Darcy Fear, thought there might be a potential small hydroelectric project at Fosthall Creek, a location shown on some BC maps as a projected farming town that was never built. He talked about his idea to a good friend in Vancouver: Harold Kalke, a charming and visionary businessman with a long background in the energy and real estate industries. Soon after, they both started Fosthall Creek Power Ltd.

Fosthall partnered in 2013 with Sorgent.e Hydro Canada to complete the development of Fosthall Creek Power, a proposed 15 MW run-of-river project located close to Nakusp, BC. After years of conversations and consultation, Splatsin, Sorgent.e and Fosthall have signed an agreement for the development, construction and operation of the power plant that, it is estimated, will generate power to supply 5 times the households in the entire Secwepemc Nation every year.

Fosthall Creek Power is completing the last stage of development before construction and plans to deliver long-term clean energy to BC Hydro’s grid. Located on the shore of Upper Arrow Lake, the project has a friendly environmental footprint that will include a spawning channel and a penstock that runs on an old log flume pathway.


From left to right: Councillor Lawrence Williams, Councillor Daniel Joe, Darcy Fear – Fosthall Creek Power Ltd.-, Councillor Jean M. Brown, Kukpi7 Chief Wayne M. Christian, Councillor George William, Lucas de Haro – Sorgent.e Hydro Canada- and Councillor Reno Lee during the gifts exchange after signing the agreement.

Splatsin is the most southern community of the Secwepemc Nation and has found in Fosthall Creek Power project a low impact activity that will help to develop their community while respecting the environment and the cultural heritage resources of the area. This upcoming run-of-river project will foster the business diversification that Splatsin has been actively working on for the last few years. Likewise, the Fosthall project will bring social benefits and job opportunities to their community and to the entire local region.

Sorgent.e is an international group with wide expertise and experience in the renewable field. Having built 1,000MW in 25 countries, Sorgent.e owns and operates approximately 100 MW of hydro, wind and solar plants in Italy and Chile. Currently, Sorgent.e is developing new small hydro projects in Canada and several countries of South America applying innovative solutions and following its commitment and experience working with First Nations and local communities.

During the signing, Kukpi7 Chief Wayne M. Christian highlighted that “In order to move away from Government funding and to bring prosperity to our people, our vision is building long- term partnerships as the one we are signing today”, he added: “It is an honour to work with you to build the local economy”. For his part, Darcy Fear - Vice President of Fosthall Creek Power Ltd - related the whole story of the project: “Harold and I have spent 13 years of our lives in this development and, with this agreement, we are taking a big step towards the main goal that is the construction of the power plant”. Moreover, Lucas de Haro, CEO of Sorgent.e Hydro Canada, emphasized the global and local spirit of Sorgent.e: “We are an international group that loves to become local where it works. We are happy to be welcomed in your territory, where we want to stay with you for decades to come.”