Last month, Society President Rebecca Caron, NWMO Local Vice President Mike Borrelli, External Relations Officer Mike Belmore, and NWMO Unit Director Issac Werner travelled to Ignace, Ontario to meet with Society members and engage with local stakeholders from Ignace and Dryden.
It was an eventful week and an important goodwill outreach exercise, as Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and the Township of Ignace recently completed a consent-based process to be chosen as the community that will be the new home of the NWMO's Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for spent nuclear fuel. This is a very important project for Ontario’s nuclear sector, and the Society. We feel that it is essential that we build and solidify our relationships in the region.
The trip’s primary purposes were twofold: First, to show our appreciation for Society members who live and work in the Northwest, and to brainstorm how our union can best serve these members. Second, to meet with local municipal leaders in order to discuss the future needs of these communities as the Society’s presence in the North expands due to new projects, such as the DGR.
With the permission of the local Indigenous leadership, Society representatives visited the borehole site where the NWMO will build its Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for spent nuclear fuel.
The Society group attended the Northern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) conference in Thunder Bay. The annual conference serves as an annual gathering of all of the municipal leaders from across Northern Ontario. NWMO Local Vice-President Mike Borelli moderated a panel on the NWMO’s ongoing activities in the North.
The Society group met with Ignace Mayor Kimberly Baigrie, Councillor Janet Lett, and Chief Administrative Officer Aaron Gullins to discuss how the Society can help Ignace thrive as a community. We also had a productive meeting with Dryden Mayor Jack Harrison, Councillors Bill Latham and Catherine Kiewning, and Chief Administrative Officer Roger Nesbitt.
A delightful highlight was the Society Member Appreciation Night at the Sleeping Giant Barrel House, where we met with Society members from a variety of locals including IESO, OPG, Hydro One, NWMO, and Legal Aid Ontario. It was such a pleasure to share in conversation with our northern Ontario members. Thank you so much to the members that made this event happen.
