Hydro-Québec fought release of old letters on Churchill Falls talks

HydroQuébec tried to keep parts of 1960s correspondence secret that described efforts to attract French aluminum producer Péchiney to Quebec and referenced internal thinking about the Churchill Falls deal with Newfoundland and Labrador. The documents were released after an accesstoinformation fight in Quebec, with officials arguing the material could still affect current negotiations over a new Churchill Falls agreement. The company eventually disclosed the records, which date back nearly 60 years. The letters show Quebec officials discussing how Churchill Falls power could help support lower electricity rates for Péchiney and how the province worked to promote a smelter project in SeptÎles. Experts who reviewed the material said they could not see how the redacted sections would harm presentday talks, and some described the censorship as excessive.