Opposed to proposed site of deep geological repository (DGR) in Northwestern Ontario

I am submitting this comment in strong opposition to the proposed Deep Geological Repository project by Nuclear Waste Management Organization within Treaty 3 territory.

I am opposed on the basis of irreversible environmental risk, violations of Indigenous sovereignty, the transportation of nuclear waste so far from its production and deeply flawed consultation processes.

I have been a resident of Dryden and Northwestern Ontario since 1974. The wilderness and the thousands of clean freshwater lakes attracted me to my first job after graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree from Sir George Williams University (now Concordia). Swimming is one of my favourite physical activities. Swimming in my hometown of Deux Montagnes occurred in the polluted water of the Riviere des Mille Iles or driving into the Laurentians. The forest woodlots were disappearing as the suburbs grew. Aside from the polluted Wabigoon River, the wilderness surrounding Dryden and the other towns of Northwestern Ontario with so many lakes to swim in and so many forests to explore, I felt that I found my idea of paradise. My husband was born in Dryden, His grandparents were pioneer settlers. Our 3 sons returned to Northwestern Ontario after receiving their post-secondary education and travelled. They found the grass is greener here. We have 3 grandchildren and hope they chose to live in Northwestern Ontario.

Currently the nuclear waste is stored above ground, adjacent to nuclear energy production or closed nuclear energy facilities like the one in Quebec. NWMO has spent an immense amount of money in Northwestern Ontario with presentations about how safe the burial of nuclear waste will be by using capsules to enclose the nuclear waste and then bury the capsules in a deep geological repository.  If the method of deep underground burial is so safe, why isn’t the repository being built in the Great Lakes watershed close to the nuclear waste production and the current above ground storage sites? The answer is obvious. For years politicians have been seeking a place to hide it. Jean Chretien in the early days suggested Labrador. Southern Ontario is quite happy to produce the energy but not store the waste so close to millions of people. My home province of Quebec was very smart in terminating nuclear energy production and stopping any additional nuclear waste.

I believe we should be spending federal money on green energy projects. Green energy projects like solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy produce abundant energy without leaving behind toxic waste for future generations. Solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy production and lowering costs is also way cheaper than building nuclear energy plants and the costs of keeping the lethal waste out of our water, soil, and human bodies. Why has the Ontario Conservative government supported the transportation of nuclear waste to the other end of Ontario across a single lane highway all the way around the Great Lakes to a different watershed? Because they are going to receive federal money to transport the waste and federal money to dig the hole and federal money to build more nuclear reactors and create more waste to put in the hole at the far end of the province.

The NWMO entire process of selecting a “host “community for the deep nuclear waste repository was fraudulent and dishonest. Every member of Wabigoon Ojibway First Nation were told if the majority of their member voted yes to be a willing host, each member would receive $145,000. In 2025 as a result of the majority yes vote to host the DGR, the cheques were handed out to each adult member and held in trust for the children. This is the tip of the bribery iceberg. Millions of dollars have been distributed in the so called search for the ideal location for the DGR.  Ignace voted yes to being a willing host. Ignace is 40 km east of the proposed DGR. Dryden is 60 km west from the proposed DGR. The water flows towards Dryden from the DGR, not Ignace. Dryden residents didn’t get the vote. NWMO chose Ignace and Wabigoon Ojibway First Nation because NWMO did their homework and knew Ignace and Wabigoon OFN could be manipulated with money to get a majority yes vote. All of Treaty 3 First Nations should get the vote for a nuclear waste repository in Northwestern Ontario. All the settler residents in Northwestern Ontario should get the vote on a nuclear waste repository in our watershed.

The NWMO site selection for the first nuclear waste repository in North America is environmental racism. Aside from the population of Thunder Bay, the population of Indigenous people in the rest of Northwestern Ontario, is equal or greater than the settler population.

We don’t want a nuclear waste dump 60 km east of Dryden. The Wabigoon River is a continuing environmental disaster. The Dryden Paper Mill dumped mercury into the Wabigoon River during the 1960’s into the early 1970’s. Indigenous people are still suffering from that act of environmental racism. Mercury was known to be lethal in the last century. The decision makers should have gone to jail. The effects of mercury poisoning were seen in my lifetime. If the proposed site for the DGR is approved and gets developed the contamination will be seen by future generations and the decision makers will be dead.

Northwestern Ontario has a low population but a great wealth of natural resources. We have vast forests, gold mines and critical minerals but the greatest wealth of all is the abundant clean freshwater. Blue gold! Not to be sold but valued as life itself. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think that Northwestern Ontario would be identified to receive the most toxic waste in the world. Clean freshwater is precious. Northwestern Ontario has more water than land. We have an immense precious water resource at a time when other countries, cities, towns and villages are rationing water due to pollution, industry, farming and overpopulation. Think a few centuries into the future as the planet is warming, Northwestern Ontario may be a very desirable place to live especially for the growing Indigenous population. The future generations who will be using solar and hydrogen energy will be very angry if the proposed site for the nuclear waste repository is approved. If approved, I predict all the nuclear waste in Canada and in the future will be dumped 60 km east of Dryden. Instead of being known for our tourism attractions, we will be the nuclear dump of Canada.

I oppose the proposed nuclear waste burial site east of Dryden and west of Ignace.