Public Engagement on the Integrated Strategy for Radioactive Waste (ISRW)

Welcome – Bienvenue –  Boozhoo  –  Tánishi – Tungasugit   

Thank you for your interest in being part of the development of an integrated strategy for long-term management of radioactive waste in Canada.  

It’s important that we hear from you, and all Canadians and Indigenous peoples interested in or impacted by this Strategy development process. 

Over the summer, the NWMO will be hosting a series of Canadian Radioactive Waste Community Engagement Sessions across Canada. These sessions are part of a larger engagement process, and a next step in planning for the safe management of Canada’s radioactive waste for the long term. 

We want to develop a solution collaboratively with you and welcome all voices and perspectives.  

Please register for your Community Engagement Session below. 

We look forward to hearing your perspective on this important topic. 

A Bit More About the Community Engagement Sessions 

Are you interested in taking part in one of the Community Engagement Sessions, but would like to know a bit more about them? 

Don’t see your community in the upcoming events?  

We will be updating this web page with details of more Community Engagement Sessions as they are confirmed with communities. To keep up to date, please visit this website and register for updates. In order to maximize the number of citizens who can participate, please only register for one session in the community of your choice. Below are the communities in which we will be holding Community Engagement Sessions. At this time, due to the current pandemic situation, all sessions are expected to be virtual: 

1. Deep River, Ontario
2. Kincardine, Ontario
3. Bécancour, Quebec (session in French) 
4. Point Lepreau, New Brunswick (one session in English and one in French)
5. Blind River, Ontario
6. Pinawa, Manitoba
7. Pickering & Clarington Region, Ontario 
8. Port Hope, Ontario
9. Ignace, Ontario (session in English with Ojibway interpretation)
10. Alberta
11. Saskatchewan
12. Canada-wide 

You can see the presentation from the sessions here.

Frequently asked questions and answers

1. Can I attend more than one community engagement event?  

We are making every effort to ensure our community engagement events are accessible to as many Canadians and Indigenous peoples who are interested in participating in the sessions. To ensure that we’re hearing from as many stakeholders as possible, while able to discuss community specific interests, we invite you to register for one event that works best for you based on your location and your availability.  

2. How do I cancel my attendance?  

If you cannot attend, you can let us know by email at info@radwasteplanning.ca. 

3. Will the sessions be recorded?  

No.  We will not be recording the sessions, but there will be a notetaker and a summary of the meeting will be posted on the website.  

4. What are the technical (system) requirements to participate?  

Sessions will be held on Zoom. You can join the sessions from a browser or Zoom app on your phone or computer.  For the best experience, we recommend you join with a computer enabled with a camera and microphone, so that you can participate in the breakout sessions if you want to share your perspective.  

5. Do I have to have my video on during the event?  

No. However, for the best experience, we recommend you join with a computer enabled with a camera and microphone, so that you can participate fully in the breakout sessions and share your perspective.  

6. How are you creating a safe space for me to share my views?  

We want to ensure all participants feel comfortable participating and sharing their perspectives. When registering, participants agree to abide by our Community Guidelines. We will have professional moderators who will ensure the dialogue remains civil, and can take action as appropriate. Although we will have notetakers, the sessions are not recorded, and there will not be attribution to individuals making comments, unless they ask to have their comment ‘on the record.’  

7. Will you be posting a summary of what was discussed? If so, when?  

Yes.  We will post a high-level summary of each event within two weeks of the event, and we will produce a summary What We Heard report over the summer, after the community engagement sessions are completed.  

8. How will this information be used?  

The insights we obtain from community engagement sessions will be used as inputs to the development of the Integrated Strategy on Radioactive Waste. Other inputs include public attitude research, insights from the Canadian Radioactive Waste Summit held in March 2021, insights from our Indigenous engagement activities, any written input we receive, as well as insights from technical meetings and roundtables, planned for later this year.  

9. Are the materials used in the Community Engagement Sessions available online?  

Yes. You can find the information on the page where you registered following the event.