As a result of the community’s project vision, the Township of Ignace and the NWMO are now collaborating to undertake five Ignace and area community studies. These community studies will inform options and strategies for the Township and surrounding area to optimize potential benefits and minimize impacts brought about should the APM project be sited in the area. These studies are: 1) the Infrastructure Study; 2) the Tourism Study; 3) the Community; Culture Study; 4) the Economics; Finance Study and 5) the People; Health Study. The following five scopes of work set out expectations each of the studies. Studies are being jointly implemented between the NWMO and the Township of Ignace with the target of having communicated study priority findings before June 2022.

Generally, the purpose of the studies is to provide information, and options for leveraging benefits or mitigating impacts which will inform future partnership discussions between the NWMO and the Township of Ignace as well as neighbors in the surrounding area. More specifically, these will inform discussions on possible commitments for an agreement. Further, information on potential benefits and impacts, better position community members to make an informed decision about support for the project. Studies will build on prior studies completed since 2010 to establish draft community profiles and preliminary community well-being assessments in potential host communities. They will consider the potential impacts of the project in the community and broader region. Furthermore, they will assist in developing a deeper understanding of the community and provide the information needed to work together on identifying programs and commitments that will ensure the project will be implemented in a manner that fosters the general well-being and sustainable development in the area.