Bloc Quebecois supports Indigenous peoples against nuclear waste sites

Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet has pledged support for the Kebaowek First Nation in their fight against a nuclear waste disposal site near the Ottawa River.

Joined by BQ MPs Sébastien Lemire, Mario Simard, and Monique Pauzé, Blanchet reaffirmed the party's opposition to the Chalk River nuclear project, located roughly 190 kilometers northwest of Ottawa.

The BQ supports the First Nation, along with 140 Quebec municipalities, in their resistance to the disposal facility.

Blanchet called for the federal government to halt the project, citing concerns for the St. Lawrence River, which supplies drinking water to millions of Quebecers.

The proposed facility would be located about one kilometer from the Ottawa River, a vital spiritual and cultural site for the Algonquin people and a source of drinking water. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission had approved a permit for the project last year.

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), responsible for the project, plans to dispose of one million cubic meters of radioactive waste in a shallow mound.

While CNL claims the facility will only store low-level waste, a former Chalk River employee revealed that some waste includes intermediate-level radioactivity due to inadequate tracking systems before 2000.

This type of waste remains hazardous for longer and typically requires deeper disposal.

The Kebaowek First Nation has taken the matter to court, seeking to overturn the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s decision. They argue that CNL did not obtain their free, prior, and informed consent, as required under Canadian law.

The judicial review hearing took place in July, and a decision is expected by early next year.

Meanwhile, CNL is carrying out pre-construction activities, which Chief Lance Haymond of Kebaowek First Nation claims violate wildlife laws and Algonquin traditions.

The First Nation has filed a complaint and is considering further legal action to halt these activities until the court rules on the judicial review.

CNL expressed intentions to continue engaging with Kebaowek First Nation regarding the project, but Haymond criticized their actions.

He also credited BQ MP Sébastien Lemire and the Green Party, led by Elizabeth May, for their strong support in opposing the facility. Lemire, who represents Haymond’s community, helped rally Bloc Québécois backing for the cause.

Monique Pauzé from the BQ called the project "nonsense," highlighting its disregard for international safety standards. Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, connected the Chalk River issue to broader systemic problems in Canada, emphasizing the need to stand together for justice and environmental protection.