The Ontario government is investing nearly $1.9 million to strengthen the province’s nuclear supply chain amid U.S. tariffs threatening Ontario’s economy and workers.
The investment is part of the government’s plan to prepare workers and businesses for major nuclear projects, protect good-paying jobs and build a stronger, more resilient and self-reliant economy that can withstand global economic uncertainty. Ontario’s planned nuclear build-out is expected to support up to 150,000 workers and generate more than $800 billion in additional gross domestic product, ensuring the province has the affordable, secure and reliable electricity needed to power the economy, according to the province.
Through the Ontario Labour Market Partnerships program, the two-year initiative led by the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries will monitor and study Ontario’s nuclear supply chain, workforce capacity and industrial capabilities. The research will identify critical gaps and capacity constraints, assess future demand and develop a roadmap to strengthen Ontario’s domestic nuclear supply chain.
“Ontario is securing our energy future,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “We are going to be an energy superpower, and we’re building the skilled workforce, nuclear supply chain and industrial capacity to make it happen.”
“We will not sit idle as President Trump takes direct aim at Canada’s workers and economy, that is exactly why we are doubling down on Canadian nuclear energy, creating 150,000 jobs by leading the largest expansion in North America,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “Nuclear is tariff-proof, its recession-proof and is virtually entirely Made-in-Canada.”
Ontario’s nuclear sector is entering a period of significant growth, with major projects underway across the province, including the refurbishment of the Darlington and Bruce nuclear stations, construction of what the province says is the G7’s first grid-scale small modular reactor at Darlington, and new nuclear generation opportunities at the Wesleyville and Bruce C sites.
The OCNI project, called Strengthening Ontario’s Nuclear Supply Chain: A Strategic Study to Enable Clean Energy Growth, will unfold in three phases: building an inventory and interactive map of the province’s nuclear supply chain and workforce capacity, identifying critical gaps, and developing recommendations to strengthen the supplier base and expand training pathways.
“This funding represents a strategic investment in the workforce and manufacturing capabilities that power Ontario’s clean energy future,” said Ivette Vera-Perez, president and CEO of OCNI. “Ontario has one of the most capable nuclear supply chains in the world, but the scale of the opportunity ahead requires a coordinated, data-driven approach.”
A recent Canadian Nuclear Association workforce study found labour shortages are expected to emerge in Canada’s nuclear sector around 2030, as new projects advance and more than a quarter of the current workforce approaches retirement age between 2030 and 2035, according to the province. Nuclear power currently provides about 50 per cent of Ontario’s electricity supply and supports around 80,000 jobs in communities across the province.
