The Honourable Stephen Lecce
Ontario Minister of Energy and Electrification
Dear Minister Lecce,
Re: Nuclear Energy in Ontario
Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector trade union, represents workers across the entire Canadian nuclear supply chain from mining, to design of reactors and generation plants, to those who produce the fuel rods, including hundreds of workers in Ontario.
We understand that you are considering nuclear energy as a crucial component of Ontario’s energy mix. Unifor supports strategic investments in the expansion of nuclear energy generation. Without that investment it is unlikely we will meet Ontario’s electrical energy needs, make the transition to electrification of our energy infrastructure, and/or meet our international commitments on mitigating climate change.
Electrical energy is the basis for the sustainable expansion of other fuels such as biofuel, ammonia, hydrogen, as well as lowering greenhouse gas emitting production in the chemical and plastics sector. It is crucial that electricity generation meet the massive demand of electric vehicle expansion in the near future.
Without expansion of electrical generation to cover inevitable transitions in these sectors, as well as the adoption of electric vehicles and the reduction of emissions from industrial production, it is unlikely Canada will be able to reduce its emission to meet climate change policy objectives.
CANDU technology is one of the three available technologies in the world for large scale power plants, 100% Canadian, which only requires locally mined and processed natural uranium, with a reliable supply chain fully developed locally creating high paying jobs mainly in Ontario. With the recent announcement of NWMO for selection of the site, long term storage of CANDU fuel bundles has a viable solution.
However, it is important that nuclear energy investment in the province be based on some principles that will maximize economic outcomes of those investments.
To reach our nuclear energy goals, Unifor outlines the following principles:
- Maintain and grow domestic production, supply chains, and procurement of nuclear power and isotopes to ensure Ontario’s energy security and maximize economic benefits;
- Ensure Ontario nuclear meets our province’s energy needs while showcasing Canadian-developed, Canadian built technology as world leading;
- Integrate nuclear energy production and inputs with critical mineral production strategies for a comprehensive resource management approach;
- Prioritize the made, designed, and developed in Canada CANDU technology;
- Ensure procurement is based on made-in-Canada nuclear technology that is safe, reliable, and built end-to-end entirely on a secure Canadian supply chain;
- Ensure outreach to the public on nuclear energy includes generation, byproduct creation such as nuclear isotopes, planning, and facility management and safety explanations; and
- Ensure increased funding is allocated to support nuclear energy research including long-term storage.
Unifor looks forward to working closely with industry partners and the Ontario government to successfully implement these initiatives, ensuring that safety, ethics and labour standards are maintained as we work to combat climate change and to create high quality jobs for Ontarians.
Thank you for your careful consideration of these principles.
Representatives from Unifor are available to meet with you at your convenience to engage in further discussions.
Sincerely,
Lana Payne Reza Ziaei
Unifor National President Unifor Representative on the Board of the Canadian Nuclear Workers Council
