On Dec. 3, 2025, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) announced the site for the Centre of Expertise in Ignace, Ont. The facility will be located on an approximately 67-acre piece of land, directly west of the current Ignace municipal office on Highway 17.
“The Centre of Expertise will be home to dozens of high-value jobs, will provide educational opportunities across the region, and is expected to attract Canadian and international visitors,” said Laurie Swami, NWMO President and CEO. “This is one of the most tangible benefits and most exciting commitments made by the NWMO to the communities hosting the deep geological repository, and now that the location has been selected, we can’t wait to see it spring to life in the coming years.”
The selection process for a site for the Centre of Expertise was built on criteria that people in the community told us was important. This includes:
- location within the Township of Ignace limits
- ability to blend into nature and have strong natural elements
- location along the main Highway 17 corridor
- connectivity to other community amenities
- accessibility and parking
The facility will be a multimillion-dollar investment and an important landmark and international destination in northwestern Ontario. It will serve as a hub for research and development, community engagement and knowledge sharing.
The roughly 65,000-square-foot facility will include workspace and technical areas for NWMO staff, multi-purpose gathering spaces, and an interactive visitors’ centre where the public can learn more about nuclear waste management.
As an architectural landmark, the Centre of Expertise will be a tourist attraction and a driver for economic development in the area. Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with the official opening in 2028.
Discussions between the NWMO and residents in the Township of Ignace about the design and use of the centre have taken place since 2019. This includes recent engagement events in Ignace in October, where the NWMO and design team for the centre gathered input from residents about the planned facility. They also shared conceptual designs that gave the first glimpse of what the building could look like, and how it will draw visitors and have a positive influence on the township’s economic development and tourism opportunities.
“The community of Ignace is extremely excited and thankful to witness this next important chapter of this project, alongside the Nuclear Waste Management Organization,” said Ignace Mayor Kim Baigrie. “The design, development and near-term construction of the Centre of Expertise will reignite and alter the landscape of Ignace. It will create enthusiasm, not only for the residents of this community, but also for those hoping to move, live, work and play in this wonderful municipality in the near future.”
The NWMO is implementing Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel by containing and isolating it in a deep geological repository. There is international scientific consensus that a deep geological repository is the safest way to manage used nuclear fuel, and Canada is among those leading the charge on this global solution.