Blog: Facts and figures on the Bruce Nuclear Generation Station

Fact File

Located: Near Kincardine and the Bruce County

Size: 2300 Acres

Cost to build: 14.4 billion Canadian dollars

Current operational units: 8

Annual Power Generation: 45,000 Giga-Watt Hours (GWh)

The Bruce Nuclear Generation Station was originally constructed and commissioned by Ontario Hydro over the course of nine years from 1960 to 1969. Beginning with Douglas Point, Canada’s first commercial nuclear reactor, the plant has since grown and expanded with many additional units and expansions.

These colour coded containers are used for storing nuclear waste before it is burned or compacted.

This is one of many radiation sensors which send signals to the site workers if it is tripped

This pipe on the outside of the Western Waste Facility is part of the incineration process

These older structure were used to hold nuclear waste before the migration to the metal capped units

The Bruce Nuclear site has also been a constant source of both power and employment to the surrounding settlements of Lake Huron, providing over 4000 jobs both on and off site. According to their website, it is currently providing 36.1% of power for the province of Ontario, as well as injecting billions into the nation’s economy.

Several companies play a role in the operation of the Bruce Nuclear Site. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) took over operations from Ontario Hydro in 1999. The OPG itself is a Crown Corporation, entirely owned by the government of Ontario. Regulation of the plant is handled by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization which was formed in 2002.

The nuclear station is currently the biggest power plant of its kind in the world as well as the biggest employer in the Bruce County. The OPG’s current operating license for the site will run until May 2020, with a further energy plan alongside refurbishments and updates to the facilities planned in the years to follow.

Blog: Who are the Saugeen First Nation aboriginals?

The Saugeen First Nation is part of a large group of indigenous people living in modern day Canada. They reside along the Saugeen River and Bruce Peninsula, which are north of Kincardine and relatively close to the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station.

Along with 633 other recognized First Nation governments, they can trace their history back to 1,000 BC when the First Nations had originally settled and built trade routes across the country. In around 1,000 AD, the people of these nations came into contact with European explorers who would eventually discover the great lakes mentioned previously. Some conflict did exist between the two, but when compared to the more violent battles that took place between Native Americans and Colonists, the First Nations were able to better preserve their own identities despite having Europeans settle near them.

Formed in the 1970s and consisting of around 2000 people, the Saugeen First Nation is the main successor of the Chippewas of Saugeen Ojibway Territory or “SON”. They foster a religion that forms a bond with nature and the environment around them, as well as other culture such as traditional dancing and clothing.

In modern times the SFN has formed a strong sense of community, as well as a link to Canada’s government thanks to the Aboriginal Professional Association of Canada. Chief Vernon Roote is the current leader of the Saugeen First Nation, who have been in talks with Ontario Power Generation in recent years about the proposed deep nuclear repository.

(Images sourced from http://www.saugeenfirstnation.ca/gallery_album.php?category=18)

Blog: A history of the Municipality of Kincardine

Kincardine’s history begins back in 1848 when the first county settlers arrived on the ship called “The Fly”. After the initial construction of a hotel by Allan Cameron, as well as a dam and sawmill by his brother-in-law William Withers, the small village began to grow into a larger town. It was eventually incorporated into Canada in 1858.

What citizens now know as the Municipality of Kincardine comprises several areas including the town of Kincardine, Township of Kincardine and the Township of Bruce. Originally known as Penetangore, it was formed in 1999 by the three main parties and named after Governor General James Bruce (Pictured above), a British colonial ambassador and diplomat who also served as the Governor General of the province of Canada as a whole from 1847 to 1854.

Kincardine Pier. The town becomes quite bustling in the summer

One of the longest standing traditions of the town’s Scottish Heritage

The municipal administration centre where the town is managed

With a population of 11,174 according to the Canada 2011 census, the town has a very closely-knit community along with a deep rooting in Scottish heritage. One of the largest personifications of this is the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band, which has been a constant fixture of the town since 1908.

A municipality is an area with powers of self-government and personal jurisdiction. The current mayor of the municipality is Anne Eadie who was elected in 2014; she runs the municipality with eight other council members from the Municipality Administration Centre. As the host municipality for the deep geological repository, Kincardine has had several dealings with the Bruce Nuclear Site, which provides a large amount of jobs to the region.

Blog: Information on the Great Lake Huron

Fact File

• Surface Area: 23,000 square miles
• Depth: 229 meters
• Shoreline length: 3,827 metres
• Number of islands: 30,000
• Water Volume: 850 Cubic metres

 

Divided between the state of Michigan in the United States and Ontario in Canada, Lake Huron is the second largest of the five great lakes, and the fifth largest lake in the world. The lake, along with the others in the chain of lakes were formed and expanded by the melting of the ice glaciers at the end of the last glacial period which occurred in the last 100,000 years of the Pleistocene period.

Huron was the first lake to be discovered by European explorers in the 1600s and takes its name from the indigenous Wyandot Indians, or “Hurons” who lived close by. This group along with the Saugeen First Nation and other aboriginal communities still hold traditional lands near the lake today.

In addition to the indigenous communities, many settlements and municipalities have also thrived on the shores of the lake. Some of these include Sarnia, Kincardine, the Saugeen Shores and Southampton in Canada, as well as Port Huron, Port Austin and Lexington in the United States. For these communities, Lake Huron serves a strong source of recreation from simple fishing and camping to water sports such as swimming and canoeing. The Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, the largest nuclear site in the world has also been based next to the lake since it was constructed in the 1970s.

(Images sourced from Google Images. All labelled for reuse)