The protest was organized by the Old Fort Williams Cottagers Association (OFWCA) and the Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area (CCRCA). More than 20 vessels carried dozens of protesters carrying signs and placards through the choppy waters towards the protest site 16 km upriver. The object of the group’s scorn was the proposed NSDF at Chalk River Laboratories, which will store low-level waste that has been radioactively contaminated at the site waste from other decommissioning work in Canada and radioactive waste from hospitals.

The day started with a panel discussion featuring several speakers who voiced their concern with the NSDF.

Those who spoke included Ole Hendrickson from the CCRCA, Executive Director of the Ottawa Riverkeeper Patrick Nadeau, Lynn Jones from the OFWCA, Eva Schacherl with the Coalition Against Nuclear Dumps on the Ottawa River (CANDOR) and Elssa Martinez with the OFWCA.

They contended that the NSDF poses a serious risk to the drinking water on the Ottawa River.

“[The NSDF] is the cheapest most dangerous solution to the management of Canada’s radioactive waste there,” Martinez said. “We want a state-of-the-art facility that meets international standards and is away from major bodies of water.”

While there were no representatives from CNL present, Martinez said none were invited.

CNL says on its website that the NSDF is a mound that can contain 1,000,000 cubic metres of low-level radoactive waste and will feature multiple layers of liner systems. It also says a waste water treatment system will remove contaminants from precipitation that drains through it.

Martinez said the goal of the protest was not only to raise awareness about the NSDF and the risks associated with it, but also to make the opposition of local residents clear.

And while the flotilla does generate attention, it’s not the only action that the group takes.

Martinez said both the OFWCA and the CCRCA have been busy lobbying policymakers and spreading their message far and wide through any means necessary.

Photos by Eva Schacherl, Johanna Echlin and Carl Hager.

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