Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
FORT WILLIAM
Aug. 10, 2017
The leader of the Bloc Québécois met with the Old Fort William Cottagers’ Association (OFWCA) and concerned citizens last Thursday morning, offering the party’s support in their opposition to the near surface disposal facility (NSDF) at the nuclear laboratory in Chalk River.
Martine Ouellet joined over 35 people at the Hotel Pontiac, representing a variety of regions and concerns, to discuss the potential implications of the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) going through their current plans.

Ouellet told those gathered that the BQ is against the NSDF in its current proposed state, and that they considered it a non-sensical project for the dump to be built within a kilometre of the river. She expressed the Bloc’s concerns with the NSDF and their disappointment in local government officials for failing to declare where they stand on the issue.
“That’s not my job to find a solution,” said Ouellet. “That’s their job to find one.”
She grasped onto the description of the project from one couple, who referred to it as a “quick, cheap and dirty solution,” as a favourite description. This couple were cottagers from Germany, who’ve visited the area for many years and hope to continue to do so.
Many of the group gathered had long ties to the area and the waters, sharing stories of their parents or grandparents living and visiting here, while they continue to bring their kids and grandchildren to the same place. Everyone congregated wanted to ensure the land and waters would continue to be clean and safe for generations to come.
“We’re hoping that the disposal will be done in such a way that there’s little to no chance of spillage or leakage into the river,” said Robert Wills, a Thorne resident and long-time member of the Pontiac Environmental Protection. “It’s definitely an issue that can affect the Pontiac and whole Ottawa Valley.”
The project in its current state has the NSDF planned to reside on the CNL property in Chalk River, within one kilometre of the flowing waters. Though officials and scientists have deemed this plan safe, many remain cautious of the potential for disaster, and the implications it would have on the area.
The cautious urge that there has not been nearly enough research or similar cases studied for the officials to know exactly the likeliness of a leak occurring is. They also stress that such a leak would have disastrous implications on not just the Pontiac, but all waterways connected downstream from the Ottawa River, including Montreal, Ottawa and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
With invitations for commentaries and concerns on the NSDF to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission closing on Aug. 16, the BQ leader suggested that the group continue to use their combined voices in order to fight back. Ouellet said that the power of an audience rallying a strong, communal voice is what will champion their cause through to elected officials.
One of the event organizers and member of the OFWCA Elssa Martinez laid out what the plan of action is going forward.
“The next step will be to form more of a coalition,” said Martinez.
They hope to unite all concerned parties and organizations, host a march and protest in Montreal, as well as put greater pressure on elected officials and the Quebec Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement.
“There’s those that would have an end to all nuclear fission, but we got it,” said Wills. “So what are we going to do with it?”