Participant Funding Program decision – Consultation activities with Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation for Paladin’s licence application

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) offered funding through its Participant Funding Program (PFP) to assist Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) in consultation and engagement activities with CNSC staff. These activities included hosting an in-person meeting in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, regarding the Paladin application for a licence to prepare a site for and construct a uranium mine and mill in the southwestern Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan.

The information gathered from these activities will be included in the relevant Commission member documents in order to bring any valuable information directly to the Commission.

Background

The CNSC makes participant funding available to:

• enhance Indigenous and public participation in the CNSC’s environmental assessment and licensing processes
• help Indigenous Nations and communities, members of the public and interested parties bring valuable information to the Commission

A funding review committee (FRC) was established to review the ACFN funding application received by the CNSC’s PFP administrator and to make recommendations on the allocation of funding to the applicants.

On August 17, 2026, the FRC reviewed ACFN’s PFP application received by the CNSC.

Participant funding decision

The CNSC has carefully considered the recommendations of the FRC on the allocation of participant funding for consultation activities with ACFN for Paladin’s licence application.

The CNSC will award funding to the recipient as listed below.

Recipient	CNSC-approved funding
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation	$15,920.60
Total	$15,920.60

Eligibility and funding criteria

For more information on participant funding and how it works, including details on eligibility and funding criteria, please read the Participant Funding Program Guide.

Contact information

Participant Funding Program Administrator
pfp@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca