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Long-term investments - Additional Information (Detail) CAD / shares in Units, $ in Thousands |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 14, 2017 CAD | Dec. 20, 2016 CAD shareholder CAD / shares MW | Oct. 12, 2016 USD ($) | Sep. 15, 2016 CAD party MW | Sep. 15, 2016 USD ($) party MW | Apr. 12, 2016 | Oct. 19, 2015 USD ($) member MW | Dec. 31, 2017 CAD | Dec. 31, 2016 CAD | Dec. 31, 2017 CAD MW | Dec. 31, 2016 CAD | May 10, 2017 CAD
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Red Lily I Project, wind energy facility, capacity (megawatt) | MW |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 26.4 |  |
Equity-method investees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | CAD 40,479,000 | CAD 64,419,000 | CAD 40,479,000 | CAD 64,419,000 |
Proceeds from issuance of debt |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,838,035,000 | 2,399,009,000 |
Number of parties included in development loan | party |  |  |  | 2 | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes Receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 41,873,000 | 38,183,000 | 41,873,000 | 38,183,000 |
Development loans | Notes Receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37,710,000 | 32,125,000 | CAD 37,710,000 | 32,125,000 |
Interest in Red LIly I Partnership |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity interest |  |  |  |  |  | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
75% Interest in Red Lily I Partnership |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income (loss) from equity method investments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,776,000 | 1,288,000 |  |  |
75% Interest in Red Lily I Partnership | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Option to subscribe equity interest in partnership, percentage |  |  |  |  |  | 75.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
50% interest in Odell and Deerfield Wind Projects | Development loans |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Letter of credit fee percent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.00% |  |
50% Interest in Deerfield Wind Project |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity-method investees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | 34,727,000 | CAD 0 | 34,727,000 |
Equity interest |  |  |  |  |  |  | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |
Project power capacity (megawatt) | MW |  |  |  |  |  |  | 150 |  |  |  |  |
Number of members | member |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |
Contributions of capital | $ |  |  | $ 262,900 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest capitalized on non-regulated property |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6,072,000 |  |
50% Interest in Deerfield Wind Project | Deerfield SponsorCo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contributions of capital | $ |  |  | $ 19,891 |  |  |  | $ 1,000 |  |  |  |  |
50% interest in Odell Wind Project |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity interest |  |  |  | 50.00% | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Project power capacity (megawatt) | MW |  |  |  | 200 | 200 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Interest in Amherst Wind Project |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity-method investees |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,191,000 | 558,000 | 11,191,000 | 558,000 |
Interest capitalized on non-regulated property |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,447,000 | 491,000 |
Deerfield SponsorCo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity interest | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |
Business combination, purchase price | CAD 21,585,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Tax equity funding received |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | CAD 166,595,000
Interest in natural gas pipeline development |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity method investment, realized gain (loss) on disposal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6,367,000 |  |
Amherst and Deerfield Wind Projects |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued interest revenue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |  | 0 |  |
Odell SponsorCo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business acquisition, percentage of voting interest acquired |  |  |  | 50.00% | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to acquired businesses | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 26,500 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business combination, step acquisition, equity interest in acquiree, remeasurement gain |  |  |  | CAD 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity, Reporting Entity Involvement, Maximum Loss Exposure, Amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 289,374,000 |  | 289,374,000 |  |
Variable interest entity, number of shareholders with joint control | shareholder |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net gain on acquisition |  | CAD 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary | Windlectric |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Letters of Credit and Guarantees of Obligations |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 72,068,000 |  | 72,068,000 |  |
Guarantee Obligation Liability, Noncurrent |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,449,000 |  | 2,449,000 |  |
Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary | Windlectric | Notes Receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notes receivable |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | CAD 37,710,000 | CAD 29,723,000 | CAD 37,710,000 | CAD 29,723,000 |
Windlectric |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Project power capacity (megawatt) | MW |  | 75 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of stock, percentage of commons shares sold |  | 50.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale of stock, price per share (CAD per share) | CAD / shares |  | CAD 50 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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