Show your support for Bruce Power by signing online petition.

As your readers may be aware, Bruce Power will appear before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) at the end of May to request a 10-year extension to its operating licence.

At this public hearing, which will be held May 28-31 in Kincardine, dozens of people and organizations – myself included – will become 'intervenors,' and speak in support of Bruce Power. I will do so because the company has repeatedly proven to be committed to the safety of its workers, the public and the environment, while providing a necessary resource to the province.

Bruce Power has also proven to be a good corporate partner, financially supporting numerous Indigenous initiatives, educational opportunities, community events, non-profit organizations, and environmental programs.

The fact Bruce Power does all this while safely providing low-cost electricity to a third of the province is why the Canadian Nuclear Workers Council, along with other industry organizations, unions and supporters, came together to start an online petition at www.supportbrucepower.com. We encourage the public to show its support for Bruce Power's licence renewal by joining us in signing this petition.

It was now 20 years ago when the former Ontario Hydro shut down the four reactors at Bruce A, and yet many of us can vividly recall the devastation it caused the communities along the Lake Huron shoreline. Families were uprooted, many never to return. Jobs weren't replaced. Small businesses failed while our largest employer floundered. Houses were sold for pennies on the dollar.

It was a trying time for the people of Bruce and Grey Counties, but we persevered and were eventually rejuvenated by Bruce Power – first through the refurbishment of Bruce A, and now the Life-Extension Program, which will allow the site to operate until 2064.

We are now in a period of economic prosperity, thanks to Bruce Power, and it is only getting better as other nuclear suppliers are setting up shop locally, providing a further influx of investment into our local economy.

First though, Bruce Power needs its 10-year operating licence approved by the CNSC. Please consider doing your part in strengthening the future of our area by signing the petition at www.supportbrucepower.com, share with your friends and family on social media, and encourage them to sign it as well.

Respectfully,

David Shier
National Director, Canadian Nuclear Workers Council