Saskatchewan NDP MLA Aleana Young returned from Ontario on Thursday – fresh off several meetings with workers and industry leaders in the nuclear power sector. Saskatchewan is aiming to have a small modular reactor in the province by the mid-2030s with SaskPower and the provincial government currently in a multi-year planning phase. A final decision on whether to move forward with the project is expected no later than 2029. Young said she feels the narrative towards nuclear power in Saskatchewan is vastly different than it was years ago, with many now in favour of nuclear waste storage facilities as opposed to smokestacks. “I saw some of the nuclear waste in Ontario that’s been safely stored for over 70 years and when I talk to young people, they see storage of waste that would fit in a space the size of the Regina airport compared to pollution coming out of the tops of smokestacks. Young people are deeply concerned about the economy and environment,” Young said. The MLA for Regina South Albert said that after speaking with young people in Saskatchewan – she feels there is an openness to nuclear power. That includes being comfortable with storing waste produced by nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Canada, where Young said she began her Ontario tour, just completed a 15-year consent-based democratic process for a long-term geological depository for nuclear waste. “The country and nuclear provinces like Ontario and Manitoba have been working towards a long-term storage solution. Right now, it is sitting in warehouses on the surface. I saw a real commitment to safety above anything else,” the MLA explained. Young said that she consistently hears major concerns from residents regarding climate change and economic uncertainty and nuclear power is often thought of as vital to Saskatchewan’s economy and economic footprint. She went on to say her time in Ontario consisted of touring the full fuel cycle for nuclear power in that province. The tour included production of fuel for light nuclear reactors through to full power plants and long-term geological storage for nuclear waste. “It was fascinating,” Young said.
