Northern Ont. town to make decision on hosting nuclear waste site

A final report and recommendation on a small northern Ontario community's willingness to host a $22 billion nuclear waste site is being presented to its town council Wednesday.

Aerial view of the Township of Ignace, Ontario

The nationwide process began in 2010. A total of 22 communities came forward expressing interest in hosting Canada's deep geological repository, the Ignace-Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is one of the final two sites being considered.

The plan would see nuclear waste buried in deep granite rock in the Canadian Shield.

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"Canada's plan will only move forward at a site with informed and willing hosts," the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) said.

"That means the people living there need to understand what it means to host a project like this and support having it located in the area."

The Township of Ignace created a willingness ad hoc committee to review, analyze and make recommendations to the township on whether to host to the site. The findings are being presented at the local recreation complex on Beaver Street at 3 p.m. July 10.

Results of a community vote and study that was done in April by a small town consultant will also be presented.

"A special meeting of council will be held and a resolution, for or against the continuance of the township in its willingness process with NWMO, will be endorsed after council hears the results of the study and recommendations made by the willingness ad hoc committee for the first time in public," the township said in a media advisory Monday.

• Read the decision here

In March, Ignace passed "a unanimous resolution to sign an historic potential hosting agreement" that allowed the review of legal, financial and regulatory implications in relation to the project.

Ignace has a population of around 1,200 and is located on Highway 17 between Thunder Bay and the Manitoba border in northwestern Ontario.

The community hosted a two-day nuclear exploration event in April with 40 exhibits, panelists and industry representatives from across Canada.

For Ignace to be considered, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation must also express its support of the project.

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The other location being considered to host the site is South Bruce-Saugeen Ojibway Nation area in southern Ontario.

With a budget of approximately $22.8 billion (in 2015 dollars) to manage Canada's used nuclear fuel national infrastructure project, it is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the area it will be located.

"It is a multi-generational project that will be developed and implemented in phases over a period spanning more than 150 years," NWMO said.

"The economic impact will include many direct, indirect and induced jobs for scientists, engineers, tradespeople and others. Construction and operations will create wealth in the form of business profits and personal income throughout the siting area amounting to many hundreds of millions of dollars."

A final decision on the location of the site is expected later this year.