'Just the first step': South Bruce signs nuclear waste hosting agreement
During one of South Bruce council’s shortest ever meetings, councillors may have made one of the biggest decisions in the community’s history.
“This is the biggest opportunity of economic development, South Bruce probably will ever see,” said Municipality of South Bruce Mayor, Mark Goetz.
South Bruce has signed a hosting agreement with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) that maps out what will happen if the community decides to host Canada’s first permanent nuclear waste facility.
“It’s a very important moment for the community, because when they make their decision, they need to know what they’re deciding on. The agreement gives them a lot of that information,” said Nuclear Waste Management Site Selection Vice-President, Lise Morton.
Along with guarantees about only burying Canadian-produced used nuclear fuel in the $26-billion underground facility, and assurances about safety and future co-operation, the community of 5,800 residents will be paid $418 million over 138 years, if they are selected to host Canada’s most radioactive waste, forever.
“It does seem like a whole lot of money, and it is, but I encourage people not to get caught up in the money. First and foremost is safety. Safety for the people, and safety for the environment,” said Goetz.
But the forecast of 700 direct, and 1,200 indirect jobs from the project and other economic spinoffs are part of why South Bruce is this far in the process.
“What’s the multiplier effect? What does it mean for investment in the community? New jobs, and business investment. All sectors of the economy can benefit,” said Jim Gowland, local farmer and chair of the South Bruce Nuclear Waste Community Liaison Committee.
South Bruce council meets on May 1, 2024. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)For those opposed to the project, no amount of money will mask the “red flags” they see in the hosting agreement, and safety case surrounding the controversial plan to bury the waste 600 metres underground, something that’s never been done before, in the world.
“I don’t want the high-level loads of radiation going past my farm. I don’t want to live beside a facility where radioactive emissions are being emitted. I’m not interested in being their radioactive experiment,” said Michelle Stein, local farmer and co-founder of No Nuclear Waste-Protect our Waterways.
The next big milestone for South Bruce and this project comes in October, when residents will vote on whether they really do want to host Canada’s most radioactive waste, forever.
Before that referendum from Oct. 21-28, Mayor Goetz wants everyone in South Bruce to read through the 140 page hosting agreement, so the community really knows what its committing to.
“Everybody should know what’s in there. What they’re saying yes to, and what they’re saying no to,” said Goetz.
Despite a clause in the hosting agreement that allows up to four years from now for a final decision, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization said it still does plan to decide whether Ignace in northern Ontario, or South Bruce will host the $26-billion project, by the end of 2024.
A hosting agreement with and approval from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation is also required for the project to move forward in South Bruce.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.