Dryden Takes Action to Protect Residents as Federal Government Fast-Tracks Nuclear Waste Repository

DRYDEN, ON (October 14, 2026) — The City of Dryden is taking decisive action to protect its residents and ratepayers as the proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for Canada’s used nuclear fuel advances toward construction in the region.

At its October 13, 2026 regular meeting, Dryden City Council authorized the submission of a formal letter to the federal Major Projects Office opposing the Government of Canada’s proposal to designate the Nuclear Waste Management Organization’s DGR project as a “project of national interest” under the Building Canada Act. The designation, if approved, would allow Ottawa to streamline federal approval processes for the multi-billion-dollar repository.

Council also awarded a contract to Deloitte LLP to conduct an independent regional impact assessment focused specifically on Dryden, at a maximum cost of $597,675, and directed staff to seek full funding from the NWMO for the study and other DGR related costs.

“Dryden has been patient, reasonable, and engaged in good faith with throughout this process, but the NWMO still has not adequately addressed their project impacts on our community,” said Mayor Jack Harrison. “We cannot stand by while the federal government accelerates a project that, at this point, offers our residents nothing but burden. If this repository is truly in the national interest, then the national interest must include protecting the communities that will bear its consequences.”

As the regional service hub for Northwestern Ontario, Dryden provides healthcare, social services, education, emergency response, and infrastructure for a catchment population well exceeding their municipal taxation boundaries. The NWMO’s own baseline studies identify Dryden as likely to experience significant socio-economic effects from the project, yet unlike the potential DGR host communities, Dryden has no hosting agreement or community benefit commitments in place.

“The NWMO has forced us into commissioning our own independent impact assessment because they have not recognized the substantial work our staff have already done to quantify the impact of this project on Dryden,” said Chief Administrative Officer Roger Nesbitt. “The need for this independent impact assessment exists because of the NWMO’s project, and our taxpayers should not be left to foot the bill for a project that benefits the entire country. We are calling on the proponent to fund this work in full, consistent with their own stated principles.”

The City’s submission to the Major Projects Office outlines Dryden’s concerns regarding housing, healthcare, municipal infrastructure, social services, and the disproportionate impact on Indigenous residents, who comprise over 19% of Dryden’s population and nearly half of the broader Kenora District.

The federal consultation period closes October 26, 2026.

Media Contact:

Roger Nesbitt, Chief Administrative Officer
City of Dryden
Tel: (807) 223-1194
Email: rnesbitt@dryden.ca