The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) recently unveiled the final design for our Centre of Expertise. It will be located in Ignace, Ont., a host community for Canada's deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel.

The centre represents an approximately $50-million investment in the community. It will incorporate a range of features identified through local community input, including flexible multipurpose and educational spaces, a design that blends into the natural environment, and an accessible location connected to community amenities.

“We are very proud of this design that integrates nature, knowledge and community,” said Christina Van Drunen, Vice-President of Operations at the NWMO. “It has been exciting to see the NWMO's new home in Ignace grow from the concepts presented seven years ago to these final renderings, and it couldn't have happened without input from community members.”

Designed at approximately 55,000 square feet — about the size of a football field — the facility will accommodate 160 to 200 NWMO employees, bringing sustained economic opportunity to northwestern Ontario for generations to come.

The centre will anchor the NWMO's long-term operational presence in the region, supporting training, innovation and the development of world-class expertise to support the NWMO's work.

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has released a request for proposals for the construction of our Centre of Expertise in Ignace, Ont.

Designed at approximately 55,000 square feet, the facility will accommodate 160 to 200 NWMO employees. It will include flexible multipurpose and educational spaces, a design that blends into the natural environment, and an accessible location connected to community amenities.

“We are very proud of this design, and selecting a construction firm is a major step towards breaking ground next year,” said Christina Van Drunen, Vice-President of Operations at the NWMO. “The Centre will establish the NWMO's long-term operational presence in the region while supporting training, innovation and world-class expertise for our work.”

We remain committed to local procurement driving local benefits whenever possible, which means that firms bidding for the contract will have an advantage based on their proximity to the host communities of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and Ignace.

“As we enter this next stage of the development of the Centre of Expertise in Ignace, we look forward with enthusiasm as we prepare to change the landscape of this community,” said Kim Baigrie, mayor of Ignace.

The Centre of Expertise was a significant negotiated commitment that the Township of Ignace included in the hosting agreement that was signed in 2024, which aimed to ensure investments related to Canada's used fuel repository will support the community in achieving its aspirations for the future.

The centre represents an investment of approximately $50 million in the community, and sustained economic opportunity in northwestern Ontario for generations to come.

The request for proposals closes on Sept. 10, 2026, and the anticipated award date of the contract is early January 2027. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027.