April 6, 2011
E.Ontario calls for
"partnership" on AECL
by Terry Myers
All of Eastern Ontario is standing behind Atomic Energy of Canada as it
faces an uncertain future.
The Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus (EOWC) represents 13 counties and
cities across the region, from Renfrew County in the north and west,
south to Peterborough and Belleville and east to Hawkesbury and
Cornwall.
In a recent meeting with senior government officials, EOWC called on
the province to “engage and partner with” the federal government to
make sure the restructuring of AECL is “beneficial to Ontarians and
Canadians.”
“The substantial investment in the nuclear industry made by the
residents of the province of Ontario and the 72,000 jobs in the nuclear
industry must be respected and acknowledged,” the EOWC said in its
submission.
“The (restructuring) process must benefit the residents and industry of
Ontario by ensuring a stable supply of electricity and the maintenance
of jobs and investment in all industrial and commercial sectors.”
The EOWC also called on the province to “form a partnership” with the
federal government “to support the transition of the existing Chalk
River facility into the Chalk River National Laboratory.”
“A Chalk River National Laboratory based on a new multi-purpose
research reactor would allow Ontario and Canada to be a world leader in
scientific research and development and commercial applications of
nuclear science, attracting the best and brightest scientists from
around the world and creating partnerships with universities, research
institutions and industries that will retain and create substantial
employment opportunities throughout Ontario.”
The meeting between EOWC reps and provincial officials took place at
the annual “Good Roads” convention at the end of February.
Among the government officials present were Minister of Municipal
Affairs and Housing Rick Bartalucci, Minister of Education Leona
Dombrowsky, and Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs Carol
Mitchell.
The meeting also included parliamentary assistants Monte Kwinter, Rick
Johnston, Lou Rinaldi and Maria Van Bommel, the assistant deputy
minister for the Ministry of Finance, and the acting assistant deputy
minister for the Ministry of Muncipal Affairs and Housing.
The future of AECL and the nuclear industry was one of eight priorities
identified in the EOWC brief.
Others included things like the need for “predictable and sustained”
infrastructure funding, long-term care, and the Eastern Ontario
Development Fund.
EOWC notes that Ontario is home to the majority of commercial nuclear
reactors (18) operating in Canada, which produce 55 per cent of the
province's power.
“With over 2,900 highly skilled employees working in the nuclear
research field at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's Chalk River
Laboratory, a further 2,100 AECL employees in Ontario and thousands of
jobs at supply chain and spin-off companies throughout Ontario, a
healthy nuclear industry is critical to the growth of our knowledge
economy and our overall economy.”
The brief notes that the loss of the research division at Chalk River
“could lead to the loss of scientists to other jurisdictions throughout
the world, along with the loss of valuable wealth-creating research and
technology.”
Without naming Saskatchewan directly, the brief notes that “other
governments in Canada” have offered funding to support the development
of a new research reactor to take the place of NRU.
“If successful, these efforts would result in the significant loss of
jobs to the people of Eastern Ontario and the entire province of
Ontario.”
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