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In more than 45 years of using nuclear energy, not one single fatality has resulted from radiation exposure at a Canadian nuclear power plant or waste storage facility.
Canada's nuclear history
History of Canada's Nuclear Industry |
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| Dr. Bertram Brockhouse was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1994 for his work at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in Ontario. |
Electricity was first generated from a nuclear station in Ontario for commercial purposes in 1962, using the CANDU nuclear technology that powers our nuclear stations today in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Canada's nuclear-generated electricity has many benefits. It is clean, in that nuclear reactors do not emit the gases that lead to climate change or smog. It is reliable, designed to generate power 24/7. And it is affordable, helping to keep electricity bills reasonable.
Another important date in Canada's nuclear history is 1951, when the new industry pioneered the use of radiation using Cobalt 60 for the treatment of cancer. Since then, Canada has become a leader in the field of nuclear medicine.
Canada is also a leader in uranium production. Over the past four decades, Canada has become the world's largest producer of uranium. This industry is a key pillar of Saskatchewan's economy.
The Canadian nuclear industry has also produced a Nobel Prize winner in Physics, Dr. Bert Brockhouse, who was awarded the prize for his groundbreaking work at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in the 1950s.