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Consultation & Engagement 

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Algonquins of
Pikwàkanagàn

The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan are the original caretakers of the Ottawa Valley, the traditional, unceded, and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people.

 

As part of our long journey to reconciliation and economic empowerment, we are proud to have partnered with Brookfield Renewable to develop the South March BESS project.

 

Co-developed through our equal equity partnership, this project represents one of the largest Indigenous investments in Ottawa’s history.

South March BESS Consultation and Engagement Timeline

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Summary of Engagement

Community engagement has been at the heart of the South March BESS planning process.

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Since project initiation, we have implemented a robust, multi-channel engagement strategy to

inform, consult, and collaborate with residents and interest holders.

Engagement highlights include:

  • Hosting a public open house

  • Virtual and in-person firefighter training sessions

  • One-on-one meetings with residents

  • Door knocking at the homes within 3 km of the project site

  • Informational podcast episodes

  • Digital billboards

  • Digital feedback forms

  • Answering over 100 questions submitted by residents

  • Guest lectures at uOttawa and Algonquin College

  • Regular project updates through GetChargedOttawa.ca

85+

doors knocked

200+

open house visitors

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3M+

impressions across campaigns

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Advertising

We launched an awareness campaign on Meta that has earned over 1.9 million impressions within the Ottawa area and received 2,500+ clicks to this website's landing page.
 
Efforts have focused on brand awareness through a video campaign that featured an animated explainer of BESS, reaching over 20,000 people. 

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We created this website to inform, educate, and dispel misinformation about battery energy storage systems.

To ensure a dynamic user experience, the website features:

Community Open House

On February 23, 2025, we were pleased to welcome over 200 residents of West Carleton and the surrounding area to our open house at West Carleton Secondary School, where we shared updates and information on our proposed South March battery energy storage system (BESS) project.​

The event focused on key elements of the BESS project, including:

Safety and Environmental Considerations:

Attendees were able to explore in-depth information about our approach to noise and light mitigation, fire safety measures, and emergency response protocols. We are committed to implementing best-in-class safety standards and ensuring the project integrates responsibly into the surrounding environment.

Community Development Fund (CDF):

We introduced a $5-million Community Development Fund and invited input from residents on how this fund could best serve the needs of the West Carleton and South March communities.

Incorporating Feedback 

We know consultation isn’t just about listening, but about putting feedback into action.​

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  • Site Selection: Based on consultation with the public starting in Fall 2023 and leading up to 2025, we located a better site more aligned with the feedback we had heard from residents such as the amount of required tree clearing, presence of wetlands and proximity to residents, and made the decision to move the project. The South March site had no wetlands, minimal tree presence and fewer neighbours.

  • Fire Safety: Preliminary consultation with Ottawa Fire Services recommended installing fire hydrants, a dry pipe system and on-site reservoir. We’ve incorporated those elements into our system design. 

  • Protecting Groundwater: We’ve heard from residents with concerns on groundwater contamination. Although there is no reported evidence of a BESS ever contaminating groundwater, we have taken extra precautions including multiple layers of containment. The internal sections of the battery have containment, the whole unit itself is contained, and we’ve taken the added measure of deploying an impermeable geomembrane barrier underneath the site, connected to a stormwater management system that can be completely isolated from the existing watercourses in the event of an emergency, even further reducing any risk of groundwater contamination.

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