Society/IFPTE 160 Organizes Bruce Power Tour for IFPTE and Guests

On April 30, the Society of United Professionals (SUP/IFPTE Local 160) organized a comprehensive tour of Bruce Power located in Tiverton, Ontario for IFPTE affiliates and guests from labour and community. Attendees included IFPTE President Matt Biggs, Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, WAPSO/IFPTE Local 162 President/Canadian Area Vice President Richard Mahe, WAPSO/IFPTE Local 162 Executive Director Keith Bellamy, Ontario Federation of Labour President Laura Walton, Ontario Federation of Labour Executive Director Ralph Halpin, IFPTE staffers Brian Kildee, Bill Fitzpatrick, and Anna Liu. Society President/Canadian Area Vice President, Michelle Johnston, and Society External Relations Staff Officer, Mike Belmore, coordinated the tour and also participated in the day’s activities.  

The tour offered a rare chance to witness firsthand the inner workings of North America’s largest nuclear power generating station. The Society has 1,200 members at Bruce Power employed as Reactor Safety Engineers, Safety Specialists, Radiation Safety Supervisors, Control Room Shift Supervisors, Authorized Health Physicists, and other professional workers. The tour's purpose was to provide dialogue and understanding regarding the critical role that nuclear power plays in the global fight against climate change by facilitating electrification and decarbonization.

Tour attendees walked through different sections of Bruce A, observing the rigorous protocols and state-of-the-art technologies employed. There was also a visit to the control room which choreographs the generation of electricity. Later that afternoon, the tour turned its focus to nuclear waste management operated by Ontario Power Generation. Participants gained a deeper appreciation for the complexities involved in producing nuclear power and the safeguards in place to ensure the well-being of both workers and the environment.