The province’s construction labour unions are enthusiastic about the provincial government’s decision work with Bruce Power, extending the life of its current nuclear reactors with a 15 year, $13 billion refurbishment project.
“Today’s agreement between the Province of Ontario and Bruce Power to secure the role of the Bruce Site in the Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) will pave the way for substantial long-term investments and careers in the trades, while also providing families and businesses from across the province with stable electricity prices,” said Ontario Building and Construction Trades business manager Patrick Dillon.
“Ontario’s Building and Construction Trades have a strong relationship with Bruce Power and we look forward to building on this for many decades to come, as we all do our part to secure the province’s need for reliable, clean and affordable electricity,” Dillon said. “Bruce Power will be a source of apprenticeship opportunities that will lead to rewarding, long-term careers for people wanting to enter the trades.
“Bruce Power is the province’s single largest source of emissions-free electricity generation, and we look forward to working together to tackle climate change.”
Earlier this year, the Building Trades and Bruce Power signed a collaboration agreement signaling a shared commitment to the ongoing role of Bruce Power nuclear in the province and recognizing the strategic importance of the company to thousands of tradespeople. The collaboration agreement focuses on the following areas:
- Continuing to deliver strong safety performance through the shared value of ‘Safety First.’
- Ensuring the necessary availability of skilled trades in the short-, medium- and long-term by promoting recruitment, training and apprenticeships.
- Working together to ensure the successful execution of projects on the site.
- Increasing the diversity within the trades with a particular focus on Aboriginal people, women and visible minorities.
- Creating opportunities for former military service members to find careers within the skilled trades.
- Ensuring nuclear power continues to play an important role as part of a reliable, clean, affordable and balanced energy supply mix in the province.
“We believe Bruce Power’s role in Ontario’s supply mix has been good for workers, communities and the entire Province as they have built very progressive and thoughtful relationships with partners who have and continue to contribute to the success of the company, making Ontario a model for others to emulate when tackling climate change,” Dillon said.