South Bruce votes in favour of hosting Canadian repository

Residents of the Municipality of South Bruce have voted in favour of declaring itself a willing host for a Deep Geologic Repository for Canada's intermediate and high-level waste in a public referendum. South Bruce is the second community in Canada to declare its willingness to host the facility.

Fifty one percent of the votes cast in the 28 October referendum expressed willingness to host the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) project in South Bruce. With a turnout of 69%, the outcome is binding on the municipality's council under Ontario's Municipal Elections Act.

"We are so pleased that South Bruce voters came out to have their say on this important decision," Mayor Mark Goetz said. "It is an extremely proud moment to have our community make such a momentous decision through a democratic vote."

"On behalf of everyone at the NWMO, I want to thank the residents of South Bruce for their participation in the referendum and for their efforts over many years to learn everything they can about the project and what it would mean for their community," said NWMO Vice-President of Site Selection Lise Morton.

The NWMO is tasked with the safe, long-term management of Canada's intermediate and high-level radioactive waste, in a manner that protects people and the environment for generations to come. The organisation has said it will only site the Deep Geologic Repository in a willing host community, and has been working for over 12 years to identify a suitable site with informed and willing hosts. That process has seen 22 communities that proactively expressed interest in taking part narrowed down to two areas: the Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation-Ignace area; and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation-South Bruce area. Both are in Ontario.

As well as the Municipality of South Bruce, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (comprised of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and Saugeen First Nation) must also demonstrate willingness, and NWMO said it "continues to work closely with Saugeen Ojibway Nation as they consider if the project is a good fit for their community".

The Township of Ignace confirmed its willingness to move forward to the next phase of the site selection process in July, with 77.3% of participants in a community vote in favour of becoming a willing host community.

The NWMO said it will select its preferred site following the completion of willingness processes in other communities. It must also demonstrate that the selected site can safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel and that Canada's used nuclear fuel can be safely transported there. Once a site is selected, the NWMO will enter a mandatory multi-year regulatory decision-making process including an impact assessment and license applications.

The results of the South Bruce referendum have been certified by election service provider Simply Voting Inc, and will be formally presented at a special meeting of the South Bruce council on 12 November.