Tara Jeffrey/The Independent

The Chiefs of Aamjiwnaang and Walpole Island First Nations are waiting to hear more information before showing their support for a potential new power facility in nearby St. Clair Township.

“I need to be sure that all environmental protection is in place, best available technology is there — even before it gets to the community to be able to have a say in that,” Aamjiwnaang Chief Janelle Nahmabin said of the recent announcement that the province is exploring sites for energy generation, including the former Lambton Generating Station (LGS) in Courtright. “Ultimately, from my perspective from Aamjiwnaang, it comes down to the community’s position on that.”

Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce was in Sarnia-Lambton earlier this month to gauge opinion on the prospective project, and stopped by Nahmabin’s office for a brief visit to discuss it, along with Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey, she said.

While nuclear energy has been at the forefront of the conversation, Lecce did not confirm that, or rule out other possibilities, including natural gas, hydrogen or battery storage.

The province announced in late November that Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has been asked to begin discussions with Indigenous, community and municipal leaders on its existing sites in Port Hope, Haldimand County and St. Clair Township, “to determine community support for all types of new energy generation, including nuclear, to meet Ontario’s soaring demand for electricity.”

“I recognize the energy needs — it’s not like that’s something that I am oblivious to,” said Nahmabin. “I have been engaged with the First Nations Energy Symposium for quite some time, and, being involved with economic development as well as the environment, I can see the projection and the need for certain things.

“But at the same time,” she added, “I know that Walpole Island is just right down the road from that, and that’s our sister community. There’s not even enough information to be able to really say what it is — if it is in fact going to be nuclear or if it’s not.

“I will wait to see when there is more information coming out about that.”

Walpole Island Chief Leela Thomas echoed Nahmabin’s concerns, stressing that First Nations communities need to be involved throughout the entire process.

“We are always concerned about the environment and the impacts these projects have on our community, not only now, but for future generations,” Thomas said. “The community needs to be on board with it, but when we’re not really informed of what is going on and what is at stake, how can we tell our community? That creates distrust.”

Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott has enthusiastically endorsed a nuclear facility at the site, noting that local First Nations communities have to be on board, if the project is to be approved.

“We are hoping the government and all these agencies will do better in terms of letting us know,” Thomas added. “Instead of just announcing, ‘hey, this is coming,’…sometimes it feels like they already know what the plans are.

“There’s still a lot of questions that need to be answered and a lot more information communicated to us as leadership so that we can get that information to our communities.”