Saugeen Ojibway Nation votes no on deep geologic repository at Bruce Power

A Win for Canadian Tribal Communities: The site at Bruce Power was to be Canada’s first geologic repository, but it has been stopped because the First Nation Saugeen Ojibways voted NO, and the company (Ontario Power Generation) agreed to proceed only with tribal approval.

BY: ADAM BELLĀ | blackburnnews.com

Traditional Territories of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (Chippewas of Nawash Unceded FN and Chippewas of Saugeen FN)

Members of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation have voted against a proposal to host a deep geologic repository at Bruce Power.

Out of 1,232 total votes, just 170 voted ā€œyesā€, while 1,058 voted ā€œnoā€, with four spoiled ballots.

In a release, Chief Lester Anoquot says ā€œThis vote was a historic milestone and momentous victory for our People. We worked for many years for our right to exercise jurisdiction in our Territory and the free, prior and informed consent of our People will be recognizedā€.

Ontario Power Generation spokesperson Fred Kuntz says ā€œOPG respects the decision of the SON community. We followed SONā€™s process. So we will uphold our 2013 commitment not to proceed with the DGR at the Bruce site without their support, and now we will move forward to develop an alternate solutionā€.

He noted ā€œWeā€™ll explore other options and engage with key stakeholders to develop an alternate site selection process. Any new process is going to include engagement with indigenous people, as well as interested municipalitiesā€.

When asked what the way forward is for Ontario Power Generation right now, Kuntz said ā€œnow we are able to move forward with other optionsā€.

Kim George, who organized a protest by 50 members of Saugeen Ojibway Nation on Wednesday, says ā€œIā€™m so happy that itā€™s a no, a resounding no. The people have spoke loud and clear, and itā€™s a noā€. This effects all people along the Great Lakes basin. Millions of people drink from that water, and to have the DGR, along with the plant, we canā€™t do anything about the plant right now, but there was something we could do about the DGR, and yes weā€™ve spoken, and we said noā€.

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