South Bruce council will hold a special meeting on November 12 at 5 p.m. to review the binding results of the recent nuclear waste storage referendum, a session that may be council's final opportunity to consider a recount.
The October 28 referendum, which saw 51.2 per cent of voters in favor of hosting Canada’s first deep geological repository (DGR) for nuclear waste near Teeswater, has sparked calls for a recount due to the close result, with 48.8 per cent opposed. Procedural rules under the Municipal Elections Act make a recount improbable unless council intervenes at this stage, or by order of the Supreme Court. The Act specifies recounts only under specific conditions, and the strong turnout of nearly 69 per cent further solidifies the vote.
This $26 billion project, led by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), promises significant economic impacts, with $418 million in subsidies and hundreds of jobs projected over the facility's 175-year lifecycle. However, the DGR proposal has faced opposition from local groups and some Indigenous communities, including the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), whose support is essential as NWMO proceeds with site selection.
NWMO remains in discussions with Indigenous groups, and SON has yet to set a date for its own vote on the project.