Support for NWMO and Deep Geological Repository Project

The Township of Ignace is proud to continue its efforts to support the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) and its Revell site for the deep geological repository for the storage of used nuclear fuel. As we know, there have been studies completed in the past, which include many hours of preparation and participation from the Township of Ignace. We appreciate the hard work that has been completed to date and the initiation and launch of these two new studies will be building upon and incorporating elements of those foundational efforts from the past into the work that lies ahead for the future. It is important that we have up-to-date and relevant information that the consultants can utilize through their engagement with the community, discussion with relevant stakeholders, governments of Ontario & Canada and other community groups. Ultimately, this feedback will come back to Council with sound recommendations to analyze and move forward.

To prepare for the projected growth and changes within our community, we have partnered with Explorer Solutions to develop a transitional housing strategy that addresses the community's short- and long-term housing needs. In addition, Explorer Solutions will conduct a feasibility study to determine whether there is enough demand to support the reopening of the Ignace Municipal Airport.

These projects will directly impact our community, and we want to hear from our residents. As such, we invite you to complete this survey to share your opinions and insights. Your thoughts will help shape the direction of both projects, as well as inform the recommendations that will guide the future of Ignace.

(Note: There will be an opportunity to provide additional comments at the end of the survey.)

We invite you to complete this short online survey. 

Alternatively, hard copies of this survey are available at the following locations:

All hard copy and electronic survey responses will be accepted until Friday, February 14, 2025 (at 5:00 pm).

Thanks again and we encourage you to fill in the survey questions and be an active participant in shaping the future of Ignace.

Mayor Kim Baigrie and Members of Council

PUBLIC STATEMENT – The Township of Ignace

On April 29, 2024, a draft agreement appeared publicly on the upcoming agenda released by the Municipality of South Bruce, for their Council’s consideration and signing for their upcoming May 1, 2024, Special Meeting. The agreement was received earlier that morning and briefly analyzed by Township of Ignace Council, staff, and advisors. 

At first glance, the Municipality of South Bruce agreement seems to be more than double that of the Township of Ignace, but once you begin to conduct a simple per capita amount analysis of their agreement based on their population base, housing/homes, location of the proposed DGR including taxation factors, it is a much different picture. “That said, we are very different communities with unique characteristics and goals, and we, in Ignace remain proud and steadfast to have been the first community in this willingness process to be out of the gate with the NWMO by signing our hosting agreement in March 2024”, stated Mayor Kim Baigrie.

The South Bruce agreement includes base factors such as population figures - which are five times that of Ignace (5600 vs 1200) and the number of homes/housings that is almost four times greater (2381 vs 644) than Ignace and include the direct taxation amount of the DGR which is located within their municipal boundaries.  When this significant amount is deducted from the proposed DGR (25%) because it is situated within the boundaries of their community and includes two other villages and you conduct the calculation on a per capita basis, the Township of Ignace corrected amount far exceeds that of South Bruce ($150k vs $56k). 

Another important factor to consider is the after the site operations are closed, a monitoring phase begins which, in South Bruce includes calculations for revenue for the community for up to 138 years, as the property tax/special facility payment will be continued to be paid to the Municipality of South Bruce.

The following chart provides a brief summary of the per capita analysis for both communities:

“Regardless, of our analysis, when we began negotiations with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, we were advised that each and every potential hosting agreement would be negotiated in good faith, with the community’s best interest as a guiding principle and as such would all be different based on the fact that all  four of  the communities/areas remaining in this process have very unique circumstances, and as the first community to have set the bar, we remain proud of the potential hosting agreement for the benefit of all in Ignace”, stated Mayor Baigrie.

“It is important to remember that each community we are negotiating an agreement with for the potential siting of the deep geological repository, has extremely unique circumstances and variable factors including population, housing needs and whether the potential site is within municipal boundaries or not. These are all factors that we needed to consider moving forward in that community’s proposed draft agreement”, stated Lise Morton, Vice President of Site Selection, NWMO.

Mayor and Council for the Township of Ignace would like to remind its residents that If you have not already registered and voiced your vote With Chela Inc., please do so until midnight tonight.

Approximately 40 Exhibits, Panelists and Nuclear Industry representatives from all of over Canada set to descend in Ignace, ON on April 12th and 13th, 2024!

The Township of Ignace Mayor and Council, event planning personnel and Township staff, including members of the Willingness Ad Hoc Committee have been diligently preparing to host the most important Northwestern Ontario Nuclear Exploration Event yet.  The event is set to take place on April 12^th and 13^th, 2024 at the Ignace Recreational Centre, with a special smudging ceremony and prayer from Donna Chief, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway First Nation at 10 am.

“We are so excited to once again be hosting this important, learning, and educational event for our residents, surrounding municipalities, our First Nation neighbours, local students and regional partners and stakeholders.  We are stressing that all our greater community comes out and has an opportunity to ask questions about our recently signed potential hosting agreement, our recent tours, and meetings with industry partners across Canada, First Nation, and other community meetings we have attended around Canada and the world, including Finland.  We have Canadian representatives that are ready to tell their stories and we are so pleased that we have over 40 exhibits who will be on the ground and providing factual and critical information about the nuclear industry, safety in transportation, this proposed deep geological repository and the opportunities that are associated with it”, stated Mayor Kim Baigrie.  “But we don’t stop there, we also have invited those who are presenting the potential challenges of this project, and their voice must also be heard”, the Mayor went on to state.

On March 18^th,2024 Mayor and Council passed a unanimous resolution to sign an historic potential hosting agreement with the NWMO. The signing of this historic agreement allowed the Township, the Willingness Ad Hoc Committee, its residents, stakeholders, and other interested parties to consider the legal, financial, and regulatory implications as critical data points in moving forward with the willingness process and the determination of a final decision by Council in mid 2024.  This agreement and the Ignace Community Well Being Studies become very important resources for both the residents and Council in the community moving forward. Representatives of the Township and NWMO will be on hand to answer questions about that agreement and share summaries with the residents of Ignace.  The agreement in its entirety, a summary of the agreement, the Township resolutions and other information are all posted on the Township website.

The Northwestern Nuclear Exploration Event will also be an important opportunity resident within the community to continue to stay engaged with the willingness process currently underway in the Township of Ignace.  With Chela Inc., the municipal engagement consultants, advisors and peer review experts for the study and Willingness Ad Hoc Committee members will all be represented and in attendance.  With Chela Inc. will also be registering residents for confidential interviews, and the community will be able to ask questions about the methodology and hear about the progress of the study.

Mayor Kim Baigrie will be hosting a special PANCAKE Breakfast on Saturday April 13^th at 9:00 am in the Kid’s Zone with Mayor Blair Skinner (Pinawa, Manitoba) and Mayor Adrian Foster (Clarington, Ontario) both members of the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities.  The breakfast will be sponsored by the Township of Ignace, and everyone is invited to come free of charge.  Organizers are asking those attending that, if they are able to, please bring and donate a dry good for the local Mary Berglund Food Bank. It would be very much appreciated.

NNEE 2024 - Northwest Nuclear Exploration Event Exhibitors List 

Exhibitors List for the Nuclear Exploration Event in Ignace ON April 12/13 2024

Northwest Nuclear Exploration Event 2024

Northwest Nuclear Exploration Event Final

The Regular Meeting of Council originally set for Monday, March 18th has been rescheduled to Monday, March 25^th @ 6:00 p.m.

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Please note that this year’s Christmas Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting that was originally scheduled for December 2, 2023 within the Township has been postponed due to some unforeseen circumstances. Please accept our sincere apologies.

The new proposed date of this event is now December 20, 2023 and the Township of Ignace will continue to provide updates on this new date throughout the month of December.

Once again, our apologies for the delay and we hope that this has not caused any inconvenience.

Thank you.

Township Council is pleased to provide an update and some photos of the Pine Street Culvert Project. The contractor has now removed the old culverts and the new culverts have been installed successfully.

Water is now flowing through the culverts as the temporary diversion channel and coffer dams have all been removed. The road subgrade has been brought up to paving elevations.

Guide rail installation will take place early next week. The contractors are replacing a section of the water main that had to be removed during the construction phase and before the roadway could be reopened to vehicular traffic.

There will be directional drilling equipment on site in the next week or two to complete this scope of work. After the watermain has been installed, the roadway will be open for vehicular traffic to travel across the river.

The contractor will confirm drilling dates with JML Engineering, however a conservative estimate for the end of this year’s work would be the week of November 27, 2023.

Paving and concrete work is scheduled to be completed in Spring 2024.

We want to thank all of our residents in the Township of Ignace for their patience and ongoing support of our community projects.

Township Interim Mayor and Council