Monthly Business Briefs
- EFN Staff | December 17, 2013
Toronto, ON, November 21, 2013 The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has completed the first phase of preliminary assessment for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel. Preliminary Assessments are the third of nine steps in a multi-year process for evaluating potential suitability to host a deep geological repository for Canadas used nuclear fuel and an associated Centre of Expertise.
Creighton in Saskatchewan, and Hornepayne, Ignace and Schreiber in Ontario, were assessed as having strong potential to meet site selection requirements and have been identified for further study. The communities of English River First Nation and Pinehouse in Saskatchewan, and Ear Falls and Wawa in Ontario, were not selected for more detailed study. In acknowledging these significant contributions to the process, the NWMO will provide $400,000 to each of the eight communities upon establishment of a Community Well-Being Reserve Fund. Administered by the communities, these funds will support continuing efforts to build community sustainability and well-being.
"Each of the eight communities that completed the first phase of assessments has shown strong leadership," Kathryn Shaver, Vice-President of APM Engagement and Site Selection at the NWMO. "As we prepare for increasingly more detailed field studies and engagement, it is necessary to narrow our focus to those areas with strong potential for meeting strict safety and geotechnical requirements, and for the project to align with their long-term vision."
Big River First Nation, SK, November 6, 2013 Chief Bruce Morin of the Big River First Nation signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GardaWorld represented by Cy King, Vice-President & Senior Advisor, Industrial Projects, Aboriginal Relations Canada. This MOU responds to an active pursuit by Chief and Council to create opportunities related to the employment of members of the Big River First Nation.
The agreement stipulates that the Big River First Nation will be responsible for training in the area of security and that GardaWorld will provide all their pre-employment requirements and provide employment for the people who meet them in venues across western Canada.
Further the agreement recognizes that Big River First Nation will be the sole and official training venue in Saskatchewan for GardaWorld. To begin with, the National Child Benefit Reinvestment Program sources out potential candidates, employs service providers who deliver professional training to applicants as required by GardaWorld. Subsequent to training, successful applicants are screened by GardaWorld and upon certification candidates can then join the ranks of GardaWorld to provide security services to the many companies that depend on GardaWorld.
To date there have been three graduation classes. The first 19 applicants successfully completed training and are employed by GardaWorld. Two more professional training sessions were delivered to 37 candidates of which 19 are awaiting certification. Big River First Nation extended an invitation to people in the region to attend security training in the Big River First Nation venue.