LIFE WITH NUCLEAR ENERGY

 Eric McGoey, communications and engagement director for Global First Power, told The Weather Network that consultation with local Indigenous communities has been an essential aspect of developing the SMR at Chalk River.

“We’re talking to Algonquin communities on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River, Algonquin communities on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River, Métis communities, and the Mississauga communities that are part of the Williams Treaties First Nations whose treaty territory includes the Ottawa Valley.”

Understanding how SMRs impact the environment and people that live closely with the land will be essential for transitioning northern and remote communities from diesel to a carbon-free energy source. McGoey notes that building relationships with Indigenous communities that could one day opt for SMRs must be done in a meaningful way.

"Canada's shame is our mistreatment of Indigenous peoples and the legacy of colonialism. And if we don't build our projects in a way that is inclusive and that brings tangible benefits to Indigenous communities, this will have been a massive miscalculation," said McGoey.

"There are some communities that are just not going to be interested in nuclear power in their territory for a very long time. And we have to respect that. That's going to be slow work, but it's really important work."

Novog says that what makes SMRs particularly suitable for electrifying remote and northern communities is the “equalization and quality of life and equalization in costs” that diesel does not provide.

“There’s a lot of extra things you can do with SMR energy. The natural waste heat can heat a greenhouse, you can establish agriculture facilities connected to the SMR energy source, which provides a massive benefit to the community. You can think of the reactors in the North as an hub for a whole bunch of tangential benefits.”

“When you start looking at it, you can start seeing how not just the energy problem can be solved, but much more.”

According to a survey by the Canadian Nuclear Association published in 2021, 86 per cent of Canadians believe the government should invest in clean technologies including renewables and nuclear energy, but nearly half (42 per cent) say they need to understand more to form an opinion about this energy source.

When asked why nuclear energy is such a taboo topic, Novog cited the severe social and economic consequences that historic nuclear accidents have had, which stays in peoples’ long term memories.