South Bruce watches as Ignace becomes 'willing host' to nuclear waste project

After more than 10 years of talking, the Township of Ignace in Northern Ontario has decided they are willing to host Canada's most radioactive nuclear waste, forever.

“We are proudly the first community in Canada to be indicating our support and our willingness to continue in the selection process by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) in the potential siting of the Deep Geological Repository (DGR) project in this area. The residents of the Township of Ignace have spoken loud and clear and we fully respect their direction as a Council," said Ignace Mayor, Kim Baigrie.

Wednesday's decision was watched closely by many residents in our region. The Municipality of South Bruce, north of Wingham, is the only other community left in the running to host the $26 billion project, that promises well over a thousand jobs during the 138 year duration of the project, but also requires the eternal storage of nearly six million used nuclear fuel bundles, that remain dangerously radioactive forever.

Map of proposed site for Nuclear Waste facility in Northern Ontario (Source: Nuclear Waste Management Organization)

South Bruce Mayor Mark Goetz had this say about Ignace’s decision, “The Municipality of South Bruce recognizes the completion of the willingness process in the Municipality of Ignace. South Bruce is one of three remaining communities to express willingness in the Nuclear Waste Management’s site selection process and remains committed to conducting a public Referendum on October 28th.”

Ignace relied on a community committee and resident poll, which showed resounding support for "moving forward in the process." South Bruce will hold a binding community referendum this fall, to determine if they want to host the project that would pay the municipality $418 million over the course of the next century and a half.

"I find it personally really exciting and reassuring that another community has decided they are willing and overwhelmingly so, like 77 per cent of their voters, said they are willing to continue, which I think really speaks to the safety and the possibilities this project could bring to a community," said South Bruce resident, and founder of Willing to Listen-South Bruce, Sheila Whytock. "I personally think it's a super exciting time. I know there are people who don't agree with that, but yeah, I think the sky's the limit. And why not see where we can go?"

Map of proposed site for Nuclear Waste facility near Teeswater, Ontario (Source: Nuclear Waste Management Organization_

Some of those dissenting voices, believe the Deep Geological Repository, that will store the waste 550 metres underground in a series of caverns, is both dangerous and divisive.

"The unease in the community of the people that have moved away, because they didn't find that it was a happy community anymore because of the uncertainty caused by the possibility of this project," said Ignace resident, Wendy O'Connor.

"This is a project that is full of risk and uncertainty. There's no operating geological repository anywhere in the world, despite decades and decades of effort on the part of the nuclear industry," said Brennain Lloyd of the We the Nuclear Free North.

The Wabigoon First Nation surrounding Ignace, and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation encompassing South Bruce, must also decide if they are willing to host the project. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization, tasked with finding a home for Canada's used nuclear fuel, plans to decide on a final host site, by year's end, despite Saugeen's suggestion that they may not be ready to give their approval, in time.

The NWMO's, Carolyn Fell said that the conversation isn’t over yet, "there are some steps to go, for the remainder of this year. And, you know, ideally, we are in a situation where we have, two sites with willing hosts, so that we can make that decision."