Good afternoon.  My name is Sherrill Musclow. I served on Ignace Council at the time NWMO was asking communities to learn more about being a potential host for a DGR.  Council agreed to submit our community’s interest in this project and the rest is history so to speak.

At the time NWMO was giving us assurances that the project would be not only essential for the nuclear power waste storage but that it would be very economically beneficial for our community.

The science has continued to prove to me that this is a safe project and is essential for the storage of nuclear fuel waste.

I feel however that NWMO falls seriously short on the economic value promises.

Communications spoke of building strong infrastructural necessities in our community in order to host population increases during the building and operational stages.  It seems the NWMO thinks Ignace is like a southern Ontario city and that the township has the means to provide the infrastructure  to make the needed growth a reality. Apparently being given the impression that NWMO would be a partner in this type of needed growth was a total sham. I truly believe that NWMO doesn’t care that potential employees will choose to live elsewhere. A town without people can not grow and prosper.

In the 70’s when Mattabi Mines started, the company discovered that becoming a partner with their host community (Ignace) was a very important step in a long and successful business relationship. They realized that building housing would bring essential workers to the north.  Homes were both rented and sold to employees and the general public. CP Rail did this as well. Both companies prospered in Ignace and hold the legacy of being fair and valued companies in our Northern community.

I believe there are many residents that are in favour of this project that are not trusting that NWMO will treat our community fairly.

Due to a very poor decision by Council to hire a negotiating team with ZERO interest in getting a fair deal on our Host Community Agreement, our community is poorly represented in this agreement and NWMO definatley got the better end of it!

Ignace Council will need to continue to raise both our taxes, water and sewer rates (which at the moment are barely affordable) in order to just barely maintain what we have let alone even consider funding much needed infastructure.  We are a small struggling non represented northern community with everything to lose.

Shame on NWMO for taking full advantage of that.  I guess the community’s best interest is of no concern to this organization.

Seriously…..A FOUR BILLION dollar host agreement.. verses $170 million?? That’s disgusting!

Is it because ours is a non indigenous community? 

I don't see strong economic prosperity on the horizon for Ignace as was discussed in the beginning.  Funny how the narrative changes!

I don't see NWMO employees settling here s a matter of fact I'm aware that only 17% of the current NWMO employees want to be here longterm. So that leaves 83% of current employees saying they will not live in Ignace. And why?  Probably because there is no "city" attractions or housing here.

 So they are building a COE here......were are the new employees going to live?  Where are the DGR builders going to be housed?  Bet it wont be here!

As far as I’m concerned our township and its residents are being looked upon as a non important part of this agreement.  After all if it weren’t for majority of our residents being in favour of the project, MWMO wouldn’t be hosted in the best possible geological location they could find. 

The clause to allow renegotiation of the host agreement for Ignace MUST be acted upon and I would be more that willing to sit in a Council and community lead commitee to assist in this matter.

FINAL WORDS…..NWMO…DO BETTER