Neighbors or Just Interested Parties?
In Northwestern Ontario, the conversation around the Revell Site is heating up. As the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) moves toward a Deep Geological Repository, residents in Melgund Township are asking where we fit into the Impact Assessment process. Being less than 10 kilometers from the proposed site, our community is right on the front lines of this project.
What We Are Learning
The NWMO says they have spent twenty years talking to people. They highlight the “willingness” vote in Ignace and their work with Community Liaison Committees as proof of local support. They have identified big topics like water safety, housing, and jobs as things we care about, and they have shared brochures and 3D models to help explain the project.
The Reality Check
What is being promised: A “community-driven” process where everyone’s voice is respected and safety is the top priority. What we need to verify: While Ignace held a community vote, those of us in Dyment and Borups Corners—the closest neighbors to the repository footprint—haven’t been given a formal mechanism to express our own willingness. We need to know if the geological data being used to claim the site is safe was shared transparently with everyone, not just a few committees.
The Path Forward
The report noted that while social friction and housing shortages are listed as “concerns,” there isn’t a clear plan to fix them; therefore, we are calling for a dedicated Regional Readiness and Mitigation Plan. This plan must include concrete investments in our local infrastructure. Furthermore, the report noted that feedback is often summarized into general themes; therefore, we are calling for a “Comment Disposition Table” that shows exactly how our specific worries about the Wabigoon River watershed have resulted in actual changes to the project design.
Why It Matters Here
For us, this isn’t about corporate reports. It is about our hunting grounds, our quiet nights, and the water in our wells. Being labeled an “interested party” instead of a “primary impacted community” feels like our backyard is being decided on by people who don’t live here. If the project moves forward, the traffic on Highway 17 and the pressure on our local services will be felt here first.
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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