Natural Resources Committee on May 5th, 2026

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

I'm sorry.

[Todd Smith]

Wow, okay.

It's really important to have the interconnections, absolutely.

It's important to note when any of the comparisons of wind, solar and nuclear would be available through the Independent Electricity System Operator in Ontario, and we can make sure that it happens. Ultimately it is up to the government in each jurisdiction. We are a confederation, and sovereignty, when it comes to energy decisions, lies with the provinces to make those decisions that are best.

I would note that, especially this winter, Ontario gas plants, in many ways, were meeting the peaks in Quebec because of the freeze-up that was happening in the hydroelectric system.

We do have strong interties. We had relationships that were created—when I was the minister and previously under the former Liberal government in Ontario—to trade more with Quebec as well. That's certainly the goal of the federal government.

[The Chair, Liberal, Terry Duguid]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Tochor for five minutes, and then we'll be wrapping up with Ms. McKelvie.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Smith, I'd like to go back to the history of CANDU and the work that was done at Chalk River and throughout Canada. Can you briefly highlight some of the importance of the work and the development of CANDU?

[Todd Smith]

Yes. We were part of the Manhattan Project until Canadian engineers, scientists and the government realized that the goal was to build an atomic bomb in the United States. At that point in time, our Canadian engineers and scientists focused more on building clean, stable and reliable energy at home that could be built using the fuel from our country while building the components in our country.

One component that I haven't mentioned here today is the production of medical isotopes, which are crucial not just to Canada's health system but to the world's. There's a tremendous opportunity in front of us. That work continues today at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories and AECL in partnership with our teams at Candu to develop these medical isotopes that are a by-product of the heavy water design created many years ago at Chalk River. This has continued to evolve into larger and larger units, such as the Enhanced CANDU 6 and the units that we see at Darlington today.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Is the Monark the sixth-generation reactor that you spoke of?

[Todd Smith]

The Enhanced CANDU 6 is an evolution of the CANDU 6. It's the gross 750-megawatt reactor. It's net 720 to 725 megawatts. The Monark that currently exists in Darlington is about a 900-megawatt facility, and those are roughly the same units that are operating at Bruce Power.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

On the next version of the Monark, there was a public ask for funds from Canada. Where is that development? If that goes ahead, where would that development come from?

[Todd Smith]

It would come from our teams at AtkinsRéalis, which have been funding this project over the last number of years, to ensure that we had a gigawatt-scale reactor as well on offer.

What I would say is happening right now is a lot of international interest in the enhanced CANDU 6, because it fits into grids in places like the Philippines, Indonesia, Poland and Turkey that maybe don't have as robust an electricity grid as we have here in Canada.

That 750-megawatt reactor, which is available today, is what they want and what we've bid into the competitive processes that we're in right now.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

During your submission, you said that Canada is a tier one nuclear ecosystem.

In your view, what would cause Canada to lose that status?

[Todd Smith]

There are a few things.

Not to build CANDUs in Canada would be a terrible decision that would create lots of questions around our CANDU technology.

We are very fortunate to have this technology, and we are also extremely fortunate that it's as unique as it is. That offers elements that no other reactor offers—from the natural uranium fuel to the medical isotope production and the tier one nuclear ecosystem and regulator that we have here in Ontario that's so well regarded globally, the stable partner that we are here in Canada.

There's a tremendous opportunity for us to build out this export opportunity. Any other decision would be detrimental to this program in Canada. It is a CANDU supply chain. I just want to reinforce that. The 100,000 people who work in this country right now in nuclear are Candu employees, either directly or indirectly.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Along with the importance of the export licence and export potential, we have grave concerns about what's happening at the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories with the all-American-owned companies taking over.

This should scare anyone who's following nuclear or works in nuclear. The Liberals have outsourced the management of Chalk River, which developed CANDU and does work on other reactors and nuclear industries. Where that hurts us in our export capacity is that when American-owned companies touch that work, it requires, potentially, an export licence to be signed by the White House.

We saw this when South Korea wasn't able to export their reactor, because there was a component that was designed by American companies. That is the grave concern we have. Prime Minister Carney has outsourced to all-American-owned companies instead of, I believe, to your company—AtkinsRéalis, which was managing the Canadian laboratories beforehand. Going forward, we wouldn't have had the concerns we have now, if the Liberals continue down this path of letting this all-American group—

[The Chair, Liberal, Terry Duguid]

We're over time, but I'll allow a quick response, if Mr. Smith would like.

[Todd Smith]

Yes, all I would say is that we're confident. CANDU is Canadian IP through AECL, and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories are our partners. We have a very good relationship with AECL and CNL to export CANDUs globally.

[The Chair, Liberal, Terry Duguid]

Thank you for that brief answer.

Ms. McKelvie, it's over to you for five minutes as we wrap up this panel.

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

As a member of Parliament from Durham, I know that our community is very fortunate to benefit from both the energy that comes out of the nuclear sector and the jobs. Thank you to AtkinsRéalis. I have toured the facility, and when I walked in, my first question was if I could...and their answer was, of course I could trip the fake reactor.

Thank you for that. It's always fun to press buttons in a place in which you shouldn't be able to.

My question for you is around next-generation nuclear and the work that AtkinsRéalis is doing.

I was wondering if you could speak to some of the opportunities, because we're talking about export here today. Of course, you can export the technology, you can export the energy, but I think there are some things that you can do adjacent to these reactors, including the production of hydrogen and the production of medical isotopes. Could you speak to that economic opportunity as well?

[Todd Smith]

It's good to know that you tripped the reactor on the simulator at Candu and not the one at Darlington, in your riding. That would be a totally different story.

There are many side benefits to the CANDU technology. I've talked a bit about the medical isotopes, which, I should point out, are currently a $3-billion opportunity but globally, into the 2030s, are expected to be a $30-billion opportunity. The more CANDUs that we build, the more opportunity to produce things like cobalt-60, lutetiem-17, molybdenum-99 and antimony-125, which are used in treating different forms of cancer and creating theranostics.

One of the by-products of the CANDU reactor is tritium. Tritium is also in high demand as things continue to evolve in the world of fusion. OPG, in your riding, has just announced a partnership as well. I forget exactly the name of the company, but I know it's creating a centre of excellence for fusion at OPG Darlington, and tritium will be a big part of that. There is a component to the CANDU by-products that used to be considered waste that is now actually of high value.

There are many opportunities that come from a CANDU reactor, so thanks for pointing that out.

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Thank you.

It is Stellarix that is going to be part of the fusion centre. It is interesting, because it will be able to use some of the products that come out of CANDU into that reaction.

Aside from the new opportunities we have in that completely different technology, how important is it that we really focus on one technology and on doing it well? Is there an economy of scale? For example, we've benefited by having the same CANDU reactors in Pickering, in Darlington and up in Bruce. Is there the ability to exchange expertise, parts, a more stable supply chain? What are the benefits that come from going all in on one technology?

[Todd Smith]

It is our sovereign technology too.

It makes total sense when you are seeing the benefits of having your own indigenous technology and sharing the lessons learned, not just from Bruce Power to OPG, which is happening every day, but Conexus, which is the former CANDU Owners Group and is sharing lessons learned from the CANDU fleet globally. There is also the research and development that's happening at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, in Chalk River, and the work that AECL is doing.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a CANDU ecosystem that we have created here in Canada, with 100,000 jobs. I can tell you that with the backlog of work that we currently have at Candu, we have been on a hiring spree. There are the refurbishments that just wrapped up at Darlington, as well as the ongoing refurbishment at Bruce Power; the refurbishments that are coming on the Pickering B side; the potential new reactors at Bruce C; potentially 10 gigawatts of new reactors at Wesleyville, in Port Hope; the possibility of New Brunswick and another Point Lepreau; the Cernavoda 3 and 4; the refurbishment of Cernavoda 1; the refurbishment of Qinshan plants in China; and Wolseong in South Korea. We've gone from 1,000 employees two years ago to 3,000. That's a 200% increase.

That's not just happening at Candu. This would be happening in the supply chain and our other partners across the nuclear ecosystem.

To me, it makes a thousand per cent sense to move forward with the CANDU technology. It is our technology in Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Terry Duguid]

Thank you, Ms. McKelvie.

Thank you, colleagues.

A big thank you to Mr. Smith for his testimony today.

Colleagues, I think you'll agree, the voice of experience shone through today. I don't know about you, but it perhaps gives me a little hope that there's life beyond politics.

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Liberal, Terry Duguid]

Thank you, Mr. Smith, again. As Monsieur Simard always says, we welcome briefs, additional information, and have really appreciated your testimony today, so thank you very much.

It was a good meeting, colleagues.

I have a couple of things before we break.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, May 7, when we will proceed with drafting instructions for the report on the energy export study. The analysts have put together a document to help with the drafting instructions, and this will be circulated by tomorrow, I believe. You may remember our last report, in which they put an excellent frame in front of us, and of course, we were free to add, subtract, multiply. We can look forward to that.

With regard to the motion inviting Gregory Ebel, president and CEO of Enbridge, to appear before committee, the clerk has been in contact with Enbridge representatives and has been told that, while Mr. Ebel is unavailable before the summer, they would be willing to send senior members of the company. Would that be acceptable to the committee?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Terry Duguid]

It's not acceptable.