Nuclear Free North e-news | Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation Community Vote | Treaty 3 Reaffirms Opposition | Municipal and Indigenous Opposition Grows

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Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation Votes to Continue in Study

On November 16th Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) completed a community vote regarding the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s investigation of a candidate nuclear waste burial site in their territory. A majority of those who participated voted in favour of the NWMO being allowed to continue with studies. The wording of the question on which community members voted and the percentage in favour have not been disclosed.

A statement issued by WLON on November 18th made it clear that Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation has not approved the NWMO project or consented to the NWMO using the Revell site for their nuclear waste project.

The statement described the vote as being to determine if the Nation will progress into a site characterization process and indicated that members voted in favour of the Revell site moving to the next stage of study. But WLON’s statement was absolutely clear: “The yes vote does not signify approval of the project”.

Despite the clarity of WLON’s statement, the NWMO subsequently issued a statement with a headline erroneously claiming that Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation's vote “confirms it is a willing host community”.

NWMO has to date failed to establish that Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation is a “willing host” or to extract from WLON a “compelling demonstration of willingness”. The NWMO has repeatedly stated that the project will only be located in an area with an informed and willing host, with acceptance supported by a "compelling demonstration of willingness" and with surrounding communities working together to implement the project. This is clearly not the case with the Revell site.

Saugeen Ojibway Nation, in whose territory the other candidate sites is located (the Teeswater site, in South Bruce) has said they will not make their decision until next year, and the WLON vote leaves the NWMO without a declaration of “willingness” from Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation.

City of Dryden Negotiating a "Benefits Agreement" with NWMO

At the October 28th meeting of the City of Dryden council there was a “closed session” portion to the meeting during which Councillors received an “update” on the ongoing negotiations with the NWMO for a “Community Benefit Agreement”.

Way back in 2021, the City of Dryden established the Significant Neighbouring Community Partnership Working Group and passed Terms of Reference for the group. Dryden would have three representatives and the NWMO would have three representatives, and the workings of the group would be confidential.

It is most likely this group that is undertaking the negotiations for a “Community Benefit Agreement”, but because it is all cloaked in “confidentiality” Dryden residents are left to guess.

To make a presentation to Council, residents must submit a request one week in advance. The request form is HERE. Contact information for Dryden Council is HERE. More links and details are HERE.

Treaty #3 Resolution Opposing Nuclear Waste Burial

At the National Assembly in October, Grand Council Treaty #3 passed a Resolution of the Chiefs-in-Assembly re-affirming opposition to the transportation and burial of nuclear waste in Treaty #3 territory, declaring that the Treaty #3 Chiefs in Assembly continue support for the Elders Declaration CA-11-14 that makes clear that a Deep Geological Repository for the storage of nuclear waste will not be developed at any point in the Treaty #3 Territory.

The resolution went on to mandate the office of the Ogichidaa to address public letters to both NWMO and the Crown asserting the position of the Anishinaabe Nation in Treaty #3 that any project entering into Treaty #3 Territory must respect Manito Aki Inaakonigewin and Treaty #3 decision-making.

At a Treaty #3 forum on nuclear waste in June Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh declared his personal opposition to the burial of nuclear waste in Treaty #3.

First Nation Opposition Voices Growing Louder and Stronger

Thirteen First Nations from Treaty #3, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Robinson-Superior Treaty areas issued an open letter to NWMO CEO Laurie Swami on September 27, stating unequivocally that they have not given their consent and do not accept the risk that NWMO’s nuclear waste transportation and burial will bring to their air, water, land and people and informing the NWMO that their grassroots people and First Nations are the collective rights holder on their Territories and only they can speak for the people, land, and water. “No one else can give consent in our place to activities, like nuclear waste storage, that risk grave harm to our people and our environment.”

Ojibway Nation of Saugeen #258 passed a band council resolution in July re-stating their opposition to the NWMO’s plan, affirming their support for the Grand Council Treaty #3 statement in 2010 that Treaty #3 would stand firm against the long-term storage of nuclear waste in Treaty #3 territory, and further resolving that the Ojibway Nation of Saugeen No. 258 does not consent to the NWMO’s plan to construct a deep geological repository for nuclear waste in Treaty #3 territory.

Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (Pic Mobert First Nation) passed a resolution in July “opposing any proposed NWMO operations in Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg’s unceded lands, including transportation of wastes to the proposed Deep Geological Repository at Ignace” and declaring “WE STILL SAY NO TO NUCLEAR WASTE!”.

The NWMO had previously investigated candidate sites in Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg territory associated with the municipalities of Hornepayne, Manitouwadge and White River. Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg territory straddles Highway 17 between Wawa and Thunder Bay and would be on one of the transportation routes to the Revell site.

The Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council (the “AKRC”) is an umbrella organization representing Wauzhusk Onigum, Ojibways of Onigaming, Northwest Angle #33, Big Grassy River, and Animakee Wa Zhing 37, all downstream from the NWMO’s candidate site between Ignace and Drdyen.

In July, the AKRC publicly voiced their opposition to the development of an underground nuclear waste storage site at the Revell site, following the Township of Ignace officially signalling its willingness to host the underground nuclear waste storage site. The AKRC says that locating this nuclear storage site at Ignace poses an unacceptable level of risk to their communities: “This deep geological repository poses an unprecedented threat to the integrity, safety, and sanctity of Kabapikotawangag and its surrounding environments. It has the potential to compromise the health, welfare, and cultural heritage of our Anishinaabeg people.”

Thunder Bay Council Debate on Resolution Opposing Nuclear Waste Transport Ends With a Tie Vote

After the second peaceful opposition rally in as many weeks in front of Thunder Bay City Hall, a Council vote regarding a resolution to send a letter to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization urging them to pursue the option of managing used nuclear fuel waste closer to the reactor stations where the waste has been generated and is currently stored, thereby avoiding transportation of nuclear waste in Thunder Bay, failed in a tie.

The vote followed on the acceptance of the motion by Council at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Aug. 26, but rules of order required a second vote. Mary Veltri of Environment North and Charles Faust of Nuclear Free Thunder Bay made deputations at the Aug. 26 meeting.

“This is not over,” said Faust. “We might have lost the motion on a tie, but the debate finally having made it to the Council floor mobilized more people in the last four weeks than in the previous four years. We won the original motion two weeks ago against the odds and today after NWMO put everything they had on the table, we lost to a tie vote. Six of twelve members of council stood up for the concerns of Thunder Bay residents.”

"Having Canada’s nuclear waste repository built in our region is not a vision for the future of Northwestern Ontario that inspires me,” Veltri said. “What makes this area special is the boreal forest that surrounds us with its intact ecosystems and freshwater rivers and lakes. It plays a crucial role in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Rather than linking our economic development to storing Canada’s nuclear waste, Thunder Bay could become a leader in advancing clean, sustainable and renewable energy. We will continue to bring our concerns forward to our elected representatives at all levels of government and let them know that we do not want a nuclear waste repository in our region. “

Opposition groups contend that nuclear fuel waste should not be transported great distances and imposed on northern communities, including First Nations, with attendant risks to the environment. As a safer model, groups advocate for continued but improved surface containment at or near the reactor sites, allowing time for robust research and the development of improved management techniques.

Fifth Annual Walk Against Nuclear Waste in Treaty 3

Two contingents of walkers left Ignace and Wabigoon the morning of September 1st, one walking west from Ignace and the other walking east from Wabigoon, as part of the fifth annual Walk Against Nuclear Waste.

The two groups of walkers converged at their destination on September 2nd, close to the site the nuclear industry has been investigating as one of two potential locations to centralize, process, bury and then abandon all of Canada’s high-level nuclear waste.

The candidate site is at the headwaters of the Wabigoon and the Turtle River watersheds which flow west into Wabigoon Lake and into Rainy Lake and then the Lake of the Woods respectively.

The walkers reached the rest area across from Tower Road – the access road to the drill sites – mid-afternoon on the second day of the walk.

All walkers were in good spirits, buoyed by the support they received along the route.

“Many people stopped to walk a short distance with the us, other stopped with gifts of fruit or water, and the honking of horns in support was almost constant”, reported head walker Darlene Necan.

“The walk this year was very meaningful. Arriving safely at the site after the long walk represents the people’s struggle with the nuclear industry, and the way we worked together and supported each other and received support from so many passersby was so encouraging. We prevailed, and we will prevail over this nonsense idea of burying nuclear waste in our homeland”.

Ms. Necan, an elder with the Ojibway Nation of Saugeen No. 258, has led the walk on four previous years and is committed to raising awareness about the threat of nuclear waste. Walk participants included members of several area First Nations, allies and supporters, and a documentary film crew. Approximately 30 walkers completed the walk on Monday.

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We the Nuclear Free North is an alliance of people and groups opposing a Deep Geological Repository for nuclear waste in Northern Ontario. We oppose the transport, burial and abandonment of this radioactive waste in our northern watersheds.

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