Charles Dickson
Pontiac May 13, 2022
In its March 30 issue, THE EQUITY published the findings of a survey we conducted with Pontiac mayors on the subject of the proposed nuclear dump site at Chalk River. Of the 18 mayors representing municipalities in MRC Pontiac, 15 responded to our questions.
One of our questions asked mayors whether their municipality had ever received funds from Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), the proponent of the dump plan. One mayor indicated that her municipality, Sheenboro, had.
Last week, THE EQUITY followed up with Sheenboro mayor Doris Ranger to . . .
find out more about the circumstances surrounding the CNL contribution. She confirmed that CNL had contributed $500,000, roughly equivalent to all the taxes the municipality collects in a year.
“Yes, the upper Pontiac, the western part, did receive some money because we were the closest, with Sheen being the closest municipality to Chalk River,” said Mayor Ranger in a telephone conversation with THE EQUITY on Wednesday.
“And it was the last six months before that that the government put pressure on them to put in place an emergency preparedness plan for the area within a nine km radius, which included some of our crown lands. And this had to do with the Rolphton reactor before it was shut down,” she said.
“The Quebec government didn’t even talk river,” said Ranger. “They were more worried about if there was a fallout, how could we handle that. That’s all that was involved in that.”
“We were given $500,000 but it didn’t all stay in Sheen. It went down the line, to Allumette Island because we have the CLSC there. It was to do an emergency plan,” said Ranger.
“There was a generator put in at the municipal office that we would be able to house 25 people if something happened. If a tornado went through and ripped out something, that you’d have a spot that you could set up and look after people.
“Then there was a generator put in at the CLSC (in Chapeau) because if the hydro’s ripped out, all the wires are gone, you have to have some kind of communications. We purchased radios for our fire departments, and off-road equipment.”
The mayor said there were six computers purchased for councillors as well as iodine pills for people in the municipality living within the the 9 km radius of Chalk River, which the municipality was paid to ensure were properly distributed.
“It was a lot of work but it was very good for our end of the Pontiac,” said the mayor. “I am sure Ontario received lots of help, but we never did.”
“CNL has been very good for the west end of the Pontiac. That’s the very first time that we ever did receive any money and it was a big help.”
“We were very, very lucky to get it because, that only came to this end of the Pontiac because the Quebec government was putting pressure on them,” said Ranger.
Rick Bradshaw sits on Sheenboro municipal council. While he wasn’t on council at the time of CNL’s contribution, he says he was following what was going on. He backs up much of what the mayor had to say.
“In this case, it was to meet the emergency services requirements that they [CNL] had,” said the councillor.
“They gave somewhere around $500,000 to Sheenboro, and Sheenboro spent that money on a garage to house emergency vehicles. It provided a zodiac boat, and possibly a trailer, funding for a four-wheeler and a snowmobile used for emergency services by the fire department, as well as iodine pills. And they gave all of the councillors computers, “ said Bradshaw.
“It’s all justifiable in the plan,” he said.
“The money was provided for infrastructure for emergency services, and that’s what council used it for. That is the reality of it.”
