comments and concerns after ignace rec center evening meeting

Good day! Last night I attended the IAAC/ CNSC information session here at the Ignace rec center. I did find it informative as well as left me with some questions and comments I need to have registered into the comment  section.

My name is Roger Dufault( resident of Ignace since 1980) and I am quite well versed on the DGR project since 2013. Ive served on the Ignace Nuclear liaison committee ( 2018 to 2022) and served as Ignace Ad Hoc committee chair in charge of delivering the decision Ignace residents made (77.3 percent in favor) of continuing in the process to become the host community.

One direct concern I have in regards to last evenings presentation was bullet point number five of the power point presentation that refers to indigenous needs etc. While its fine to address indigenous needs for economics and health and Wabigoon lake first nation is our partner, the health , economic prosperity of Ignace residents should also be included in that paragraph. Without the support and work of the residents of Ignace this project would not be happening. Their should be no distinction whether indigenous or a resident of Ignace as we are all just people who should benefit from this major project

Prior to 2022 there was a high level of residential ownership for this project in our community. Since the 2022 municipal elections that confidence has eroded to where many residents feel cheated and question the decision they made. This confidence in owning the project and trust in the NWMO needs to be completely rebuilt to where it was and exceed that of levels in 2022.

The reason that trust and ownership has eroded is the poor agreement our council negotiated with the NWMO. Prior to the agreement the NWMO had been funding Ignace to the tune of 2 million dollars per year( 1.7 in multi year funding / 300k in community well being funds). Our council appointed two outsiders to negotiate a contract for the community to become the HOST COMMUNITY. They broke rule number 1 of negotiation …never accept less than you currently get which in the end they accepted a contract that paid half of what we had been receiving. Their was no public consultation nor was their any representative of council on the negotiating team. When time came to vote on it that meeting was kept very quiet by both the town council and the NWMO. I was told by NWMO staff that it was kept on the down low because they didn’t know if council would accept the agreement. It was later admitted by some council members they didn’t even read the agreement. Once released and being ad hoc chair I did read it and had serious concerns on the short comings.  The NWMO knew deep down it was getting away with a deal that served them far more than it served the host community. Then add insult to injury our host competitor south bruce did all the things right with drafts and public consultation and came in with an agreement double that of ours. That began to sour the residents feelings towards all this. Then add super insult to the whole process came Wabigoons agreement with the NWMO. Cudos to them for fleecing the NWMO but at 4 billion versus Ignace 170 million has really left a bad taste in the mouth. Our agreement is also very weak with no solid provisions for infrastructure, education, housing etc other than building the COE here. Add to that even with a 170 million dollar contract signed we have seen both property tax and water sewer rates increase. I was able to get to tour finland and the posiva project. When we met with town officials in euroloki they gladly shared the prosperity that they have enjoyed from all the nuclear industry in their township. They tout having the highest level of quality of life of anywhere in finland with some of the lowest taxes.

I was the chair of the Ignace Ad Hoc committee that delivered the chela report to the residents. After a thorough review of the report I can say with confidence that residents sited their prime concern was safety first then second was guaranteeing economic prosperity for Ignace. One of our concerns was if the host agreement was strong enough to deliver that. We charged council in our recommendations that they monitor and address the residents concerns for prosperity. To date instead residents have seen tax increases.  Since I have moved here at 14 years old ive seen Ignace go thru a change of population of 2700 to approx 1100 people. We have lost most services where the biggest business happens thru AMAZON Canada because we just can’t get what we need here. Add to that almost the highest gas prices in Ontario and we have to leave the community for much of what we need. Ive heard town leaders talk about were going to see education education education… While that is great there has to be a plan to get there and only thinking outside the box is going  to make that happen! To improve things like education and health care in Ontario one needs bodies. Without a substantial increase in population numbers that drive funding programming doesn’t increase. To achieve more population ( adults, families etc) we have to have jobs. There was no mention of the worker camp being located here like it is close to euroloki in finland or any mention of the manufacturing facility that will make the copper coated fuel vessels. That plant was negotiated in the WLON agreement that the plant must be located in Northwestern Ontario because they own 51 percent of it.  Our agreement is so weak we need that plant to be located in Ignace to bring the employment we need so that we can qualify for far more education and health programming we require here.  Like Mattabi Mines( 1970s to 1991) they were a major housing holder in the community. While I served on the Ignace nuclear committee I had the chance to ask Laurie Swammie a very pointed question. Will NWMO move their entire staff to Ignace? That answer was yes! Not long after a NWMO office pole was taken and only 17% of their staff said they would be willing to move north. All that time NWMO also said it was not in the business of housing employees. This is very short sighted on their part. As its said in field of dreams…. “ build it and they will come” . in this case provide very affordable housing for your people and they will be far more likely to come. NWMO needs to be willing to build all the needed infrastructure to make this a attractive community. Expecting Ignace to do this with the little amount of money our councils negotiators made with the NWMO will only break Ignace and not make it grow with prosperity. When mattabi first came this happened and it put Ignace into receivership of the province. Over time that was corrected and Norandas mattabi mine became a very valuable asset and community partner with time. I know there is a clause in the agrrement that allows for things to be renegotiated because this is a living document. To address the economic concerns Ignace has its my hope a new council will be able to sit down with the NWMO and make appropriate changes in to help that.

In closing, thank you very much for providing a avenue to provide feedback. I’m a very strong supporter of this project moving ahead. I want to see my community grow and I hope over the next few years that Ignace can once again be very proud to be the Host Community and see with our eyes and feel in our hearts the prosperity this project could bring if its done right.

Roger dufault

Resident and business owner in ignace