Eskasoni Mi’kmaq First Nation and Aeon Blue Launch Canada’s First Mi’kmaq-Owned Clean Fuels Facility
Eskasoni First Nation Councillor Bertram “Muin” Bernard and Aeon Blue CEO Lark Meadow, photo by Steve Wadden (https://waddenphoto.com)
SYDNEY, UNAMA’KI, October 8, 2026 — It's with great honour, particularly during Mi'kmaq History Month, that Eskasoni Mi'kmaq First Nation and Aeon Blue, a clean technology company, are announcing the signing of a landmark joint venture agreement. The partnership establishes eFuels Mi'kmaq Limited — the first clean fuels company majority-owned by a Mi'kmaq First Nation in Canada.
Commencing with a pilot facility on Eskasoni land at Sydport in Cape Breton, Aeon Blue's novel seawater electrochemical platform will produce drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (AeonAir®SAF) while simultaneously capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, producing ultrapure water, and generating an oxidizer for rocket fuel. This breakthrough removes carbon from the air as it makes fuel — marking a fundamental shift in the future of aviation.
Eskasoni Mi'kmaq First Nation is investing $1.5 million in the $4 million project and community members will be enrolled in an internship program to receive training in engineering, operations, and management. As the facility scales from 1,200 litres of AeonAir® per year to 3.7 million litres over the next five years, eFuels Mi'kmaq Limited is expected to create up to 80 full-time positions for Eskasoni, surrounding Mi'kmaq communities, and the broader region, building Atlantic Canada's role in the growing synthetic fuels market and strengthening the country's energy security.
From Left to Right: Eskasoni Councillors Matthew Gould, Thomas Johnson Jr., and Pierre Gould, Aeon Blue Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer Deóis Ua Cearnaigh, and Eskasoni Councillors John Frank Toney and Kateri Stevens
Seated: Eskasoni Councillor Bertram “Muin” Bernard and Aeon Blue Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Lark Meadow
photo by Steve Wadden (https://waddenphoto.com)
“Eskasoni First Nation is proud to bring our culture of environmental stewardship to the international stage through a project being developed on Eskasoni lands, while creating meaningful economic opportunities that can directly benefit our people, our community and the people of Canada.”
— Leroy Denny, Chief, Eskasoni Mi'kmaq First Nation
“This partnership represents a significant economic opportunity for Eskasoni First Nation. It has the potential to support long-term economic growth, create new opportunities for community members, and strengthen Eskasoni’s participation in Canada’s growing clean energy economy.”
— Steve Parsons, Chief Executive Officer, Eskasoni Corporate
“We are honoured to work alongside Eskasoni on a project that advances both Canada's climate goals and its sustainable energy future. Our shared commitment to this land and its people is what makes this partnership possible.”
— Lark Meadow, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aeon Blue Inc.