Seamus O'Regan visited the world's highest grade uranium mine at Cigar Lake. (Twitter/Seamus O'Regan)

By Glenn Hicks

promoting nuclear

Feds bullish on nuclear: Minister visits Sask. north

Mar 10, 2020 | 4:38 PM

“Show me a credible plan that doesn’t involve nuclear.”

That’s the strong endorsement for Saskatchewan’s uranium sector from federal Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan who has just wrapped a visit to the North.

We’re serious about this. You need to roll up your sleeves and deal with the world as it is. _{-Seamus O’Regan}

O’Regan, who has been minister for a few months, said he wanted to acquaint himself with the world’s richest uranium mine at Cigar Lake and also visit the various northern communities who rely on mining jobs, such as Hatchet Lake, Black Lake and Fond du Lac. But he also carried with him an unequivocal message about Ottawa’s stance on nuclear as part of the route toward net-zero emissions by 2050.

“There is no way that we can reach net-zero without nuclear energy, and there is no way we can reach net-zero without the mining industry,” he told paNOW. “When we talk of a carbon-free future we often point to things like electric cars. Well, they’re built of something: they’re built with metals and minerals.”

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O’Regan also pointed to the nation’s mining sector as being primed to respond to the increased demand for emerging commodities for clean tech such as solar panels, wind turbines and digital hardware.

Asked what his message was to those Canadians who were opposed to a nuclear future, he said the government was committed to it and reaching its climate change goals.

“We’re serious about this. You need to roll up your sleeves and deal with the world as it is,” he said.

O’Regan explained the government was in the process of looking at conceptual designs for Small Modular Rectors (SMRs), which he said use uranium very efficiently and can be moved to smaller communities as a clean source of emissions-free power. Industry was also getting onboard, he added.

“That’s exciting stuff and something we’re tackling very aggressively. It’s lining up. There’s an urgency; we need to tackle climate change…we’ve got to get busy.”

O’Regan explained the mining sector in northern Saskatchewan was also vital for Indigenous populations, with around 50 per cent of jobs held by locals, whether that was on the mines, or in security of associated services such as food vending.

Federal Minister of Natural Resources Seamus O’Regan with Hatchet Lake Chief Bart Tsannie and community members. (Twitter/Seamus O’Regan)

“A lot of people rely [directly] on the mines for work, as well as other businesses,” Chief Bart Tsannie with the Hatchet Lake Dene Nation told paNOW following O’Regan’s visit. “It’s important that we keep the lines of communication open with government.”

Two key Cameco mines have been shuttered in the North because of the recessed uranium prices.

Tsannie said having a thriving uranium mining industry was important, but so was the need for environmental standards.

“Every [financial] opportunity is important, but we also need to protect our wildlife,” he said. “We need to work closely with the industry.”

And that sustainable and ethical element is not lost on O’Regan.

“There’s no other democracy in the world that’s been blessed with as many natural resources as we have, and there’s nobody in the world with the reputational credibility to get these things done right…and metals and minerals are two things we definitely need in order to reach a carbon emission-free future.”

In a statement to paNOW, Jeff Hryhoriw, the director of government relations and communications for Cameco said, in part, the company would be looking “for more federal leaders to join Minister O’Regan in confirming that nuclear power – and by extension, uranium – will continue to be a big contributor to Canada’s energy future, and to support it in federal policies going forward.”

Hryhoriw added Cameco would like to see the Government of Canada promote nuclear energy in international climate conferences and planning discussions as an essential solution in global carbon reduction efforts.

As for the currently suspended mining operations at McArthur River/Key Lake Key Lake he explained while the demand cycle for uranium was on the upswing, ” the supply cycle has swung down and current uranium prices aren’t sufficient to stimulate new production.”

Editor’s note: this story was amended March 11 to add comment received from Cameco. It was also later amended to correct the name of the Chief of Hatchet Lake, Bart Tsannie.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow