Counting Heads: Who Lives Here Now and Who Is Coming?
Living here in Northwestern Ontario, specifically around Melgund Township, Borups Corners, and Dyment, we tend to know our neighbours pretty well. But as we look at the proposed Revell Site for the Deep Geological Repository, we need to ask: do the official numbers match the reality we see at the post office or the general store? The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has released their baseline study on population and demographics, and it tells a complicated story about our future.
This isn’t just about counting heads; it is about understanding if our communities have the people power to support a mega-project, or if we are about to see a massive wave of newcomers that changes our towns forever.
What We Are Learning
The Impact Assessment documents paint a picture of a region in transition. The data highlights a stark contrast: while municipalities like Ignace are seeing an aging population with significantly fewer young people (a 53% drop in youth aged 15-29 since 1996), our Indigenous neighbours are seeing their populations grow and get younger. However, the report admits that counting is difficult; there are significant discrepancies between Statistics Canada data and Indigenous Services Canada records, meaning we might not have the full picture of who is actually living on the land.
The Reality Check
When we look closer at the numbers provided by the proponent, we see a difference between the promises of growth and the hard evidence of current trends.
- What is being projected: The report uses an "optimistic" growth scenario for the Kenora District and Ignace, suggesting they could grow at the historical Ontario average of 1.16% per year.
- What we need to verify: Using a provincial average that includes booming cities like Toronto doesn’t make sense for us. Remote resource towns do not grow the same way urban centres do. If the planning is based on "optimistic" provincial averages rather than Northern realities, we could end up with infrastructure plans that don’t match the actual needs.
- The Workforce Gap: The report notes Ignace has lost half its youth workforce in 25 years. This suggests the project cannot rely on local labour as much as hoped, implying a much larger influx of temporary workers than initially discussed.
The Path Forward
We have identified a significant gap in the data that puts our services at risk. The report relies on suppressed or incomplete census data for communities like Lac Des Mille Lacs First Nation and conflicting numbers for Eagle Lake. The Gap: You cannot plan for emergency services, schools, or housing if you don’t know how many people are actually there. Furthermore, relying on "optimistic" growth models masks the need for a concrete plan to handle a sudden population boom in a shrinking town.
The Solution: We are calling for the proponent to fund community-led demographic surveys to fix the data discrepancies immediately. Additionally, we need a specialized "Social Integration and Infrastructure Study" that models growth based on northern resource towns, not provincial averages. We need to know exactly how a project of this size will function in a town like Ignace that has an aging population, without displacing our seniors or overwhelming the services in Melgund Township.
Why It Matters Here
For those of us in Borups Corners and Dyment, these numbers are personal. If the NWMO underestimates the population, we run out of doctors and emergency services. If they overestimate the local workforce availability, they will have to bus in thousands of workers from outside the region. This directly impacts traffic safety on Highway 17, increases pressure on our hunting and fishing spots, and changes the quiet, neighbourly culture we value. We need accurate numbers to ensure our lifestyle survives the construction phase.
Have Your Say
This affects our future. Submit your feedback on this specific issue via our Engage page to ensure the Impact Assessment Agency hears from our community.
The Melgund Integrated Nuclear Impact Assessment Project
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC) is reviewing the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s (NWMO) proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) at the Revell Site, located near Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation in Northwestern Ontario.
This major nuclear infrastructure project is undergoing a joint federal review by the IAAC and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to evaluate environmental, health, social, and Indigenous rights impacts over its projected 160-year lifecycle.
Public Feedback Open: Comments on the Initial Project Description are accepted until February 4, 2026. Submissions help shape the formal impact assessment guidelines.
This short article and summary is based on an initial analysis of a proponent’s initial project description. It does not represent, any community the NWMO or the Government of Canada. Learn more at the Melgund Integrated Nuclear Impact Assessment Project project page.
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