Building Relationships Near the Revell Site
As we look out over Northwestern Ontario, the conversation around the Revell Site is shifting. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization has released new details about their relationship with the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and their plans for the Deep Geological Repository. For those of us in Melgund Township, understanding these partnerships is a key part of the Impact Assessment process.
What We Are Learning
The NWMO is focusing heavily on reconciliation, identifying WLON as a willing host for the project. They are promising to respect Indigenous sovereignty, follow Anishinaabe values, and address safety for Indigenous women and girls. Essentially, they want to ensure the project is built on a foundation of consent and shared stewardship of the land and water.
The Reality Check
What is being promised: The NWMO says they are committed to the safety of women and girls through the MMIWG Calls for Justice.
What we need to verify: While the commitment is stated, we haven’t seen a specific, step-by-step community safety plan for how this will work during the years of construction.
What is being promised: The project is being built with informed consent.
What we need to verify: The NWMO admits their current data on local people—both on-reserve and in our unincorporated areas—is incomplete. It is hard to be fully informed when the baseline facts are still being gathered.
The Path Forward
The report noted that current data lacks a full representation of Indigenous identity and on-reserve community characteristics; therefore, we are calling for the completion of comprehensive, co-authored socio-economic studies before the next phase of the assessment. Furthermore, the report noted a lack of clarity on how traditional values will influence the project; therefore, we are calling for a clear framework that shows how Anishinaabe values will be integrated into the technical design and environmental monitoring of the repository. This is the only way to ensure the informed part of consent is truly met.
Why It Matters Here
For us in Dyment and Borups Corners, these relationships aren’t just on paper—they are about our shared backyard. If the data about who lives here is incomplete, the plans for traffic, emergency services, and community safety might miss the mark. Whether it is hunting near the Revell Site or the quiet we enjoy in Melgund Township, we need to ensure that reconciliation includes a clear, safe plan for everyone who calls this land home.
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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