Officials with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization have made a $10,000 pledge to help keep youth in sports in Dryden.

The NWMO has donated $10,000 to Making Connections for Children and Youth – a local non-profit that helps youth participate in recreational activities by providing services and funding to local families.

“In the past year, MCCY has assisted over 100 children to participate in hockey, skating, karate, bowling, soccer, baseball, girl guides, dance, gymnastics, music lessons and swim lessons, as well as purchasing the proper equipment and provided transportation,” said Dianne Apland, MCCY Treasurer.

“Community donations have quite an impact on these children’s lives, children who would otherwise be denied opportunities due to their family’s financial situation,” she adds.

Making Connections for Children and Youth began in 1998 and helps enhance the lives of children in Dryden, Machin, Ignace, Wabigoon, Eagle Lake and unincorporated areas each year.

The group can also help with car seats, bikes and sleighs to help parents transport their children around communities that have no public transportation systems.

“The NWMO is proud to work with Making Connections for Children and Youth in their mission to provide inclusive access to programming for all children and youth,” said Joanne Jacyk, NWMO Site Director, Ignace.

“As a parent and community volunteer myself, I am reminded daily that secure, loving and stimulating environments are necessary for children to thrive and achieve their full potential. Providing opportunities Creating space for kids to be kids leads to positive experiences and connections within the community, which builds resilience to face the challenges of adulthood,” she adds.

The NWMO has been working to identify a site for a $23 billion deep-geological nuclear waste storage facility that would hold Canada’s used nuclear waste in a 500-metre underground facility since 2010.

It would be one of the first of its kind ever created and a decision is expected in 2024.

It’s been a two-horse race to determine the facility’s final location for years now, down to Ignace in northwestern Ontario and Huron-Bruce in southern Ontario.

The NWMO is leading the site selection process, with support and direction from the federal government.