Canada's Biggest Nuclear Bet in Decades
The federal government is going all-in on nuclear energy, with Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announcing plans to build up to 10 new nuclear reactors across the country by 2040. It's the most ambitious atomic energy push Canada has seen in a generation — and it could reshape how the country powers its homes, hospitals, and industries for decades to come.
The strategy, being dubbed a "nuclear renaissance" by the minister himself, comes as Canada scrambles to decarbonize its electricity grid while keeping the lights on for a growing population. Nuclear energy — which produces zero direct carbon emissions — is increasingly being viewed as a critical bridge between fossil fuels and a fully renewable future.
Where the Reactors Could Go
While details remain limited, the federal plan calls for at least one of the new reactors to be built outside of Ontario — a notable signal that nuclear ambitions are going coast to coast, not just expanding existing sites in the province that already hosts the majority of Canada's nuclear capacity.
Ontario has long been the heart of Canada's nuclear industry. Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation operate the country's largest plants, including the Darlington and Pickering stations east of Toronto. New builds or expansions in Ontario are widely expected to anchor the federal plan, with sites like Darlington already being studied for small modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs — compact, factory-built reactors that can be deployed more quickly and cheaply than traditional large-scale plants — are central to the government's thinking. Canada has been positioning itself as a global leader in SMR development, with multiple companies and provinces already exploring pilot projects.
Why Nuclear, Why Now
The timing isn't accidental. Canada's electricity demand is set to surge as more homes switch from gas furnaces to heat pumps, more vehicles plug in to charge, and energy-hungry data centres multiply. Meeting that demand cleanly — without leaning on coal or gas — requires more than just solar panels and wind turbines, which don't generate power around the clock.
Nuclear fills that gap. It runs 24/7, rain or shine, and a single reactor can power hundreds of thousands of homes. For provinces like Ontario, which already get roughly 60 per cent of their electricity from nuclear, expanding capacity is a natural next step.
There's also an economic argument: Canada's nuclear sector supports tens of thousands of jobs and billions in exports, from fuel to reactor technology. A domestic build program would inject significant investment into communities from New Brunswick to Saskatchewan.
Challenges Ahead
Ambitious as the plan is, nuclear projects are notoriously difficult to deliver on time and on budget. The most recent large-scale nuclear project in Canada — the refurbishment of the Darlington station — has faced cost pressures and scheduling hurdles, even as it remains the country's flagship clean energy infrastructure project.
Public acceptance, regulatory timelines, and waste storage remain ongoing challenges. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission oversees approvals, and licensing a new reactor site can take years even under favourable conditions.
Still, with climate commitments tightening and electricity demand climbing, the federal government is betting that Canada's nuclear future is bright — and that 10 new reactors in 15 years is not just possible, but necessary.
Source: CBC News Politics
