IGNACE — The future Centre of Expertise now has a construction site.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced Wednesday that the 65,000-square-foot facility will be built on a 67-acre piece of land directly west of the Ignace municipal office on Highway 17.
A news release from the industry-funded not-for-profit organization said construction is expected to begin next year for completion by 2028.
The NWMO chose a site south of the highway between Ignace and Dryden last year for its proposed deep geological repository, or DGR, for used fuel from Canada’s nuclear power plants. Construction of that multibillion-dollar facility is expected to begin in the early 2030s, pending regulatory and licensing approvals.
The Township of Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation were named host municipality and host First Nation for the DGR.
In addition to workspace for NWMO staff, the Centre of Expertise will include multi-purpose gathering spaces and an interactive visitor centre where the public can learn more about nuclear waste management, regional communications manager Vince Ponka said.
The building will eventually be the NWMO’s headquarters, though “that full transition will take a while,” he said.
“But this (site selection) is a really exciting part of the project. A 65,000-square-foot building in Ignace, it’s going to be a pretty incredible sight from the highway and become a real hub for development. I’m looking forward to it.”
A news release from the municipality said township officials are “delighted to learn and fully support” the NWMO’s decision.
“The design, development and near-term construction on a site right next door to our township offices for the Centre of Expertise will reignite and alter the landscape of this community,” Mayor Kim Baigrie is quoted as saying in the release.
“It will create enthusiasm, not only for the residents of Ignace but for those hoping to move, live, work and play in this wonderful municipality in the very near future.”
The township’s release said the site decision followed years of discussion between the NWMO and Ignace.
The nuclear organization’s release quotes NWMO president Laurie Swami as saying the centre “will be home to dozens of high-value jobs, will provide educational opportunities across the region, and is expected to attract Canadian and international visitors.”
Ponka told Newswatch the township and the nuclear body wanted the Ignace facility “to fit with the natural environment” of the area.
“So I think the conceptual drawings we’ve seen so far really do a great job of incorporating nature and having trees in these courtyard areas,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a really spectacular building.”
He added that he knows NWMO employees “are excited at the idea of having walking trails (nearby) and just working in an office that’s that close to natural space.
“It’s going to be a pretty beautiful spot, a beautiful piece of land. I know this building will just look amazing in that spot.”
Township spokesperson Jake Pastore told Newswatch locating the nuclear centre next to the municipal offices “creates that nice synergy of a hub of activity.”
