Métis, contractor agree to better communication on Pinawa nuclear site

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This article was published 11/08/2023 (845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new agreement between the Métis government and a federal contractor will improve communications channels, as the latter works to decommission a former nuclear research facility situated near Indigenous land.

In a statement issued Friday, the Manitoba Métis Federation announced a five-year contribution agreement with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, an international firm contracted by the federal government to manage the former Whiteshell Laboratories.

The site is located in Pinawa, about 110 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

“The agreement is the culmination of two years of discussions between the parties regarding the effects of decommissioning activities at the Whiteshell Laboratories site on the Red River Métis,” MMF said.

“Designed to foster a more productive relationship, the agreement establishes a series of ongoing engagement activities to improve communications between the parties.”

The organizations have committed to annual leadership meetings and the creation of an MMF liaison position.

A communications protocol to inform the Métis federation about on-site incidents has been introduced. The Métis government will participate in environmental monitoring and economic activities at the Whiteshell site moving forward, it said.

The agreement also includes the creation of a stewardship program, which will help educate Métis citizens on the decomissioning process and how its operations may impact Indigenous communities.

“This collaboration reflects our commitment to respecting and valuing the rights of the Red River Métis. Working together, we will not only strive to restore the Whiteshell Laboratories site to its proper state, but also to cultivate a more sound and sustainable future for all,” CNL president Joe McBrearty said.

The Whiteshell site was founded in 1963 by the Canadian government. It was closed in 1988 and efforts to decommission the site and remediate the land have been ongoing since. A plan to entomb the facility’s nuclear reactor in concrete began in 2001 and is slated to be completed by 2027.

The plan has previously been criticized by Indigenous groups, including by officials from nearby Sagkeeng First Nation.

Decommissioning efforts at the facility were halted in April after an internal review concluded emergency protocols at the site were deficient for years.

The site must receive federal approval before efforts can resume.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca