What the DGR Means for Our Hunting, Fishing, and Gathering
Living here in Northwestern Ontario, specifically around Melgund Township, Borups Corners, and Dyment, the bush isn’t just scenery—it is our grocery store. Whether it is walleye from the lakes, moose for the freezer, or blueberries from the cutovers, we rely on the land. Now, as the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) moves forward with the proposed Revell Site Deep Geological Repository, we need to have a serious conversation about what this means for the food on our tables.
What We Are Learning
The NWMO acknowledges that hunting, fishing, and gathering (including medicines like Labrador tea) are critical activities for us. They have reviewed data showing what we eat—highlighting moose, walleye, and pike—and they are aware of existing mercury advisories in local lakes like Wabigoon and Dinorwic. To understand the current situation, they plan to ask locals to voluntarily send in samples of fish and plants for testing. This is their way of building a baseline before the project potentially begins.
The Reality Check
What is being promised: The NWMO states that the project itself is not expected to release mercury or PCBs. They are relying on studies to show that current contaminant levels are generally understood, and they believe their “participatory” sampling program will fill in the gaps.
What we need to verify: The Impact Assessment relies heavily on data that is getting old—some of the key studies cited are from 2014 and 2016. A lot changes in our environment in a decade. Furthermore, while the project might not add new mercury, we need to verify if the massive construction and physical disturbance of the land will mobilize existing mercury that is currently settled safely in the sediment.
The Path Forward
The report noted a reliance on “participatory sampling”—essentially waiting for community members to bring in a fish or a bucket of berries. While involving the community is great, it leaves a gap in scientific rigour. We cannot rely solely on volunteers for such high-stakes safety checks.
Therefore, we are calling for a professional, systematic sampling program. We need independent scientists to actively collect soil, water, and biological samples right now—not just when it’s convenient. This ensures we have a statistically robust baseline of our food sources before a single shovel hits the ground. We also need a specific study on how construction vibrations and sediment disturbance could wake up sleeping contaminants in our waterways.
Why It Matters Here
For families in Melgund Township and Dyment, a freezer full of meat or a pantry full of preserves is a way of life and a buffer against rising grocery costs. If we cannot trust the safety of the water or the plants due to outdated data or mobilized sediments, our local lifestyle changes permanently. We need to be 100% sure that the medicines and foods harvested near the Revell Site remain safe for generations.
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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