At Bruce Power, we’re extremely proud to be part of a vibrant, caring corner of Ontario and to doing our part to support communities across Bruce, Grey and Huron counties. We place a premium on doing what we can to make things better for our families, neighbours and businesses, and that’s never been so important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
That multi-layered commitment has been reflected by our employees, contractors and supply chain partners over the past 18 months. Together, we’ve found and distributed three-million pieces of personal protective equipment, supported food banks, charitable organizations and local businesses, and worked closely with the Grey-Bruce and other public health units across the province in the fight against COVID-19. Last month, we continued to support the “hockey hub” vaccination centres in Kincardine, Owen Sound and Hanover while also taking the hockey hub to Waterloo Region to help get residents there vaccinated.
As the light at the end of the tunnel grows bigger and brighter in putting the pandemic behind us, we continue to look ahead to make sure the Tri-County and the province have a stable foundation economically post-COVID. That was the impetus for Bruce Power to unveil last month its plan to support a ‘Made in Ontario’ economic recovery by investing $3 billion over the next 18 months. This multi-billion-dollar investment is being made through the company’s Life-Extension Program, our continued development of medical isotopes for use by the health-care system in Canada and around the rest of the world, and asset organization strategy. In the process, Bruce Power will create and sustain thousands of highly-skilled jobs and boost the economy here at home and across Ontario.
The $3-billion contribution is among five pillars the company will exploit to help reinvigorate the province’s economy. The others:
· Next year, Bruce Power will use industry-leading innovation in a CANDU reactor to being producing Lutetium-177, an isotope used to treat rare neuroendocrine tumours and prostate cancer. Also known as Lu-177, it will join Cobalt-60 – used to sterilize medical devices, and in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumours and other cancers – as isotopes produced by our people on our site.
· We will continue to be a leader in getting Canada to Net Zero 2050, not only by providing a reliable supply of carbon-free electricity but by also eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from our operations on site by 2027. Bruce Power is also a member of the province’s first Community Carbon Coalition, which will fund programs that remove and offset carbon.
· More than 95 per cent of Bruce Power’s supply chain, which supports 22,000 direct and indirect jobs every year, is Ontario based. We will strengthen the supply chain to support the Clean Energy Frontier program in Grey, Bruce and Huron.
· In concert with the Nuclear Innovation Institute, Bruce Power will launch the Future of Nuclear Program to support Ontario’s position as a world leader in nuclear.
