Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a small modular reactor project at Darlington in Bowmanville, Ont., that will create 18,000 jobs during construction and sustain approximately 3,700 jobs annually over 65 years. The announcement was made Oct. 23 at the project site.
The project, backed by $2 billion from the federal government and $1 billion from Ontario, will build the first of four planned SMRs at the Darlington site. The reactor will provide power to 300,000 homes, according to Canada’s Building Trades Unions.
First G7 small modular reactor
The organization says this is the first SMR project in a G7 country. The 65-year timeline positions the project as a long-term infrastructure initiative with sustained workforce needs.
Canada’s Building Trades Unions represents over 600,000 skilled trades workers across 14 international unions. The organization and its contractor partners invest more than $300 million annually in apprenticeship training through 175 facilities across Canada.
Union workforce development
“This is a once-in-a-generation moment that will reshape Canada’s economic and energy landscape. It’s a smart investment that promotes secure, unionized jobs, enhances Canada’s energy security, and cements our nation’s leadership on the global stage. Canada’s Building Trades Unions from coast-to-coast are prepared to do our part and continue driving this momentum forward at Darlington, and elsewhere,” said Sean Strickland, executive director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions.
The organization’s members work in more than 60 trades and occupations and generate six per cent of Canada’s GDP, according to the union.
Federal budget ahead
The announcement comes ahead of the Nov. 4 federal budget. Canada’s Building Trades Unions said it expects continued support for unionized skilled trades jobs in the upcoming budget.
The Darlington project represents one of the largest nuclear infrastructure investments in Ontario’s recent history, combining federal and provincial funding with private sector workforce development.
