As we in South Bruce explore the opportunity to host Canada’s Deep Geological Repository (DGR) for spent nuclear fuel, I think we need to address an important issue. Many people have an unreasonably severe fear of radiation. We can’t see or feel radiation, and people are often naturally afraid of things they can’t sense. Many of us also grew up in the Cold War era, when our popular culture was preoccupied with the threat of atomic warfare, and our science fiction featured entire populations smitten with bizarre genetic mutations, supposedly from radioactive contamination. This is really the stuff of science fiction. Even in studies of the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no such inter-generational effects were ever observed. But these fears of radiation persist until today in some circles.

Dear Editor,
As we South Bruce ratepayers explore the opportunity to host Canada’s Deep Geological Repository for spent nuclear fuel, it’s interesting to see the widespread change in public opinion when it comes to nuclear energy. We as a society are grappling with the colossal challenge of reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, and it seems newsmakers and lawmakers worldwide are adopting a favourable attitude toward nuclear.

Dear Editor,
I recently had the privilege of attending the South Bruce Nuclear Exploration Forum, held in the Teeswater Community Centre. As a resident of South Bruce, I was very impressed by the attendance of some 170 people, including many local politicians and civil servants, foreign and domestic experts and dignitaries, and interested local citizens like myself.

As we prepare for Christmas and the holidays in South Bruce, I find myself encouraged and filled with hope for the future.  It’s been, by all accounts, an excellent crop year, and our prosperous South Bruce farms have enjoyed a good harvest.  Our community has celebrated some festive activities like the Hanging of the Green in Mildmay, the Formosa Country Christmas, and many family and community gatherings.  And our new Council is settling in, with a strong mandate to continue the siting process, and determine whether our community will be host to Canada’s Deep Geological Repository for spent nuclear fuel.

The election results are in, and the people have spoken in South Bruce, with a whopping 59% voter turnout (nearly double the provincial average). What are we to take away from this election?

Municipal elections will be wrapping up in about a week. The results will be in and we will shortly thereafter begin a journey with a newly elected council.
We all know that as residents, the decision about who represents us on council is in our hands. We elect them based on who we think will represent our municipality in a way that is respectful, responsible and fair.

The municipal voting has begun in South Bruce, and it looks like we have more interest in this election than we’ve seen for a very long time. Three all-candidates meetings were held, and each one was well attended by an engaged audience of voters.

As South Bruce voters head to the polls next week, a local activist group is running a full slate of candidates, in an attempt to control the Council. This is the group that has erected hundreds of yellow, anti-nuclear signs opposing the proposed Deep Geological Repository (DGR) project, and they call themselves “Protect Our Waterways”, or “POW” for short.

In these final days of summer, my neighbours in South Bruce are looking forward to a good harvest of corn and soybeans, and to the upcoming municipal election. Around here, municipal elections tend to be sleepy affairs with lower than 50% voter turn-out.