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Parliamentary Secretary Paul Lefebvre Visits the Chalk River Laboratories to Highlight New Buildings Made of Engineered Wood

Parliamentary Secretary Paul Lefebvre Visits the Chalk River Laboratories to Highlight New Buildings Made of Engineered Wood

Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources today participated in a ceremony to inaugurate one of the new facilities at the Chalk River Laboratories. Managed by Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) on behalf of AECL, the Chalk River campus is Canada’s national nuclear laboratory and an important centre for research and innovation.

AECL is investing $1.2 billion to renew the science and site supporting infrastructure at the Chalk River Laboratories. The objective is to revitalize the site and transform it into a world-class, state of-the-art nuclear science and technology campus that benefits Canadians in areas as diverse as health, clean energy, safety and security and the protection of the environment.

The new Support Facility is one of several new construction projects at the Chalk River campus being designed and constructed using new generation of mass timber products. This material represents a sustainable construction approach and showcases AECL and CNL’s commitment to green construction and environmental stewardship.

Such projects are receiving $3.96 million in financial support under the Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) Program, and the visit by Parliamentary Secretary Lefebvre is being made as Canada celebrates the 100th anniversary of the National Forest Week. The GCWood Program, administered by Natural Resources Canada, aims to increase the use of wood in infrastructure projects as a sustainable building material.

“This innovative project demonstrates the benefits of using mass timber products in the construction of industrial buildings. It reinforces our position as a global leader in the transition to a low-carbon future,” commented Paul Lefebvre, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.

“The revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories is key to helping us meet the challenges of tomorrow, including building a low-carbon future,” added Richard Sexton, President and CEO of AECL. “Using Canadian wood for our new facilities is part of our commitment to environmental stewardship. By building a sustainable, world-class nuclear science and technology campus, we are positioning ourselves to be at the forefront of science and innovation.”

Joe McBrearty, CNL President and CEO, also commented: “Thanks to the capital investment from AECL, CNL continues to make steady progress towards our vision of a revitalized and vibrant campus. New buildings have been designed with environmental performance in mind, and will lead to important efficiency improvements in the operation of the site.”

The new buildings featured as part of the visit include a logistics complex and a support facility, which will serve as important “enabling” facilities for the site. They complement recent investments in science facilities such as the $55 million hydrogen laboratory, the $40 million tritium laboratory and the $100 million Harriet Brooks building for materials science.

Notice of AECL’s Annual Public Meeting 2020

On September 30, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) will hold a virtual public meeting. The forum will provide an opportunity to learn about the organization’s achievements of the past year and plans for the future.

Jim Burpee, Chair of the AECL Board of Directors, and Richard Sexton, President and CEO, will present at this meeting and will be available to answer questions from the public.

The meeting will take place via webcast, live on AECL’s website.

Date and time:
September 30, 2020
7pm – 8:30pm Eastern Daylight Time

Pre-register for the webcast here.

Members of the public who will be joining the meeting via webcasting are invited to provide questions in advance of the meeting via email at communications@aecl.ca. This mailbox will also be monitored for any questions received during the meeting. Best efforts will be made to answer questions received via email during the meeting within the allocated time; unanswered questions will be responded to in writing directly to requestors following the meeting.

For more information, please contact:
communications@aecl.ca
1-888-220-2465

 

AECL Extends GoCo Contract

Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL) has exercised its option to extend the Government-owned, Contractor-operated (GoCo) contract to the anticipated 10 years.

The GoCo contract had an initial term of six years with an option to extend by four years. AECL’s decision to exercise the 4-year option was made based on the performance to date of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and Canadian National Energy Alliance (CNEA), and the ongoing need for the programs of work that are underway under the contract.

This is a result of the hard work and expertise and experience of the more than 3000 people at CNL, who are delivering important science and environmental remediation for Canada at AECL sites across the country.

This contract extension will allow for the critical work on the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories to continue, to allow for ongoing world-class nuclear innovation for decades to come. It will also allow for important environmental remediation work to go uninterrupted for the benefit of all Canadians and of future generations.