What Saskatchewan can learn from an Ontario nuclear host community

For communities weighing what that could mean, Foster offered the perspective of a municipality where nuclear power is already a major employer.

He described Clarington as a “proud and willing host.” The municipality is home to four large reactors at Darlington, where construction is also underway on the first of four planned small modular reactors.

Foster said the existing plant employs about 2,000 people, with major construction and refurbishment projects bringing additional workers into the area.

That spending reaches well beyond the plant.

“Let’s say you’ve got 2,000 people showing up and likely more than that to build the reactor. Those individuals need haircuts, they need gas and car repairs,” Foster said.

For a more remote community, he said, the opportunity for existing and new businesses to capture that spending could be substantial.

The permanent jobs also provide stability through wider economic uncertainty.

“If there’s a recession, the power plant has to run,” Foster said. “It’s as much as you hear about baseload power, it’s baseload employment as well.”

Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster is also the Chair of the Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities. (Image Credit: Submitted)

Foster said nuclear investment has contributed to Clarington’s growth, although its location on the eastern side of the Greater Toronto Area and comparatively cheaper housing are also major factors.

The community welcomed the small modular reactor development, he said, after disappointment over earlier nuclear projects that did not proceed.

“We’re very comfortable with the technology,” he said. “We’re very comfortable having them in the community.”

For smaller Saskatchewan communities, however, Foster said the changes could be more pronounced. Clarington has a diverse economy, established highways and workers who commute from neighbouring communities.

An influx of people earning strong salaries could increase housing demand and property values, he said. While that can benefit owners, it can also make buying a home harder for other residents.

“If you’ve got kids that want to live in town, if they don’t have really good well-paying jobs, houses are going to be far more difficult to buy because of the increase in cost,” he said.

Local employers may also face more competition for workers.

A photo from the Darlington Refurbishment Project, which was a decade-long undertaking by Ontario Power Generation to overhaul all four nuclear reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Ontario, extending their operational life by more than 30 years. (Image Credit: OPG.com)

Foster recommended negotiating a host community agreement that sets out benefits, opportunities for local suppliers and expectations throughout the facility’s life.

He pointed to a separate low-level waste project in Clarington where local businesses were invited to bid on supplies such as protective equipment and office materials.

“Businesses were thrilled to just be invited to the table,” he said.

Communities should also prepare for construction crews to leave once their work is finished. Foster said that transition carries the potential for a boom and bust, but lessons from mines, hydroelectric developments and other major projects can help communities manage it.

For residents with safety and environmental questions, he recommended seeking answers from universities and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

His association can connect prospective hosts with municipal leaders who have already navigated the process, including through informal discussions with councils and residents.

“By all means, ask questions,” Foster said.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

by paNOW Staff

What Saskatchewan can learn from an Ontario nuclear host community

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