Nuclear Energy and Industrial Revival: Why Durham Region Matters More Than Most Canadians Realize

Nuclear Energy and Industrial Revival: Why Durham Region Matters More Than Most Canadians Realize by Maj (ret’d) CORNELIU, CHISU, CD, PMSC FEC, CET, P.Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East Canada’s debate about industrial revival too often unfolds at a distance; Ottawa strategies, federal tax credits, and abstract conversations about global competitiveness. Yet industrial renewal does not happen in the abstract. It happens in specific places, shaped by infrastructure, skills, and long-term choices. In Ontario, that reality is becoming increasingly stark. The province’s electricity system is approaching a structural inflection point. The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) has identified a looming electricity capacity gap beginning in the mid-2030s, as demand rises far faster than new, clean generation is coming online. Electrification of transportation, housing, industry, and data centres is accelerating, while existing assets age and fossil fuels face tightening constraints. According to Ontario’s Integrated Energy Plan, between now and 2050 the province could require up to 17,500 megawatts of additional nuclear generation alone—the equivalent of adding five new Darlington-scale nuclear stations. At the same time, an economic impact study commissioned by the Canadian Nuclear Association in 2024 found that the nuclear sector already contributes $22 billion annually to GDP and sustains approximately 80,000 high-skilled jobs across engineering, construction, manufacturing, mining, and plant operations. More than half of Ontario’s electricity is produced on just three relatively compact sites: Pickering, Tiverton, and Clarington. In the face of unprecedented electricity demand growth, neither Canada nor Ontario can afford further delay in launching the next generation of large-scale nuclear projects. This is where place matters; and why Durham Region is far more central to Canada’s economic future than most Canadians realize. If nuclear energy is to become the backbone of Canada’s reindustrialization, Durham is not merely a participant. It is a proof point, and potentially the model for what a modern, high-skill, energy-anchored industrial economy can look like. Energy Is Local Before It Is National Every serious discussion about productivity eventually collides with the same constraint: energy. Manufacturing, data centres, electrified transportation, hydrogen production, and advanced materials all depend on electricity that is reliable, affordable, and available at scale. This requirement is not theoretical in Durham Region; it is lived reality. Durham sits at the intersection of critical energy infrastructure, a deeply skilled workforce, major transportation corridors, and proximity to Canada’s largest market. It is home to the Darlington and Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, one of the most important energy assets in the country. Darlington and Pickering do not merely power homes. It underwrites the economic stability of the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Its baseload reliability enables industrial activity that cannot tolerate interruption. Factories do not shut down when the wind drops. Data centres cannot pause when clouds roll in. Nuclear power’s constant output gives regions like Durham a competitive advantage that many jurisdictions simply do not possess. Durham as an Industrial Anchor For decades, Durham Region has been described as a commuter belt, an extension of Toronto rather than an economic engine in its own right. That perception is no longer accurate. With Darlington and Pickering at its core, Durham hosts one of the most advanced industrial ecosystems in Canada. Nuclear operations demand excellence: engineers, technicians, skilled trades, safety specialists, digital systems experts, and project managers working to standards matched by few other sectors. Crucially, these skills do not disappear when a refurbishment project ends. They remain embedded in the regional workforce. This is precisely how industrial clusters form. Nuclear capability spills over into advanced manufacturing, precision machining, construction, cybersecurity, and clean-technology services. Durham’s proximity to ports, highways, rail lines, and airports only amplifies this advantage. If Canada is serious about rebuilding industrial capacity, Durham is not peripheral. It is a strategic hub. The Reindustrialization Opportunity Canada’s productivity problem is not caused by a lack of talent. It is caused by a lack of scale, certainty, and long-term thinking. Nuclear energy addresses all three; and Durham is where the benefits are most visible. The refurbishment of Darlington and Pickering has sustained thousands of high-quality jobs and generated billions of dollars in economic activity. More importantly, it has demonstrated that Canada can still execute complex, multi-decade infrastructure projects on time and on budget; a claim too rarely made in recent years. That achievement sends a powerful signal to investors: this is a region where large projects can be built, operated, and maintained with confidence. In a world where capital is mobile and competition is intense, that signal matters. Small Modular Reactors and Durham’s Next Chapter Looking ahead, Durham Region is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in Canada’s next nuclear chapter: small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs are not a distant concept. They are an industrial opportunity. Designed for flexibility and scalability, they can power hydrogen production, data centres, advanced manufacturing, and industrial facilities across Ontario, while also providing clean energy solutions for remote and northern communities. Durham already has what most regions lack: nuclear expertise, regulatory familiarity, established supply chains, and public understanding of the industry. This gives it a decisive head start as Canada seeks to move SMRs from concept to deployment. Durham could become a centre of SMR engineering, training, and manufacturing; exporting not just electricity, but knowledge, skills, and technology. Jobs That Sustain Communities Nuclear energy is often discussed in terms of megawatts and emissions. In Durham, its value is measured in livelihoods. Nuclear jobs are not precarious. They are long-term, highly skilled, and well compensated. They support apprenticeships, sustain local businesses, and anchor families in the community. Unlike many sectors in today’s economy, nuclear work cannot be easily offshored or automated away. For a region experiencing rapid population growth, housing pressure, and infrastructure demands, this stability is essential. Industrial revival is not just about GDP; it is about sustaining communities that work. Addressing the Critics—Locally and Honestly Durham residents are no strangers to nuclear energy. They live with it, work with it, and understand it better than most Canadians. That lived experience cuts through abstract fear. Canada’s nuclear safety record is among the strongest in the world. Facilities like Darlington and Pickering operate under one of the most rigorous regulatory regimes anywhere. Waste management, often portrayed as an unsolvable problem, is a challenge of governance and political resolve but not of engineering capability to recycle. The greater risk for Durham, and for Canada as a whole, is not nuclear power. It is stagnation. Regions that fail to anchor themselves in the next wave of industrial activity will watch opportunity pass them. A Regional Model for a National Strategy Durham Region offers Canada a template for industrial renewal: reliable nuclear energy, skilled labour, integrated supply chains, and long-term planning. What is missing is not capacity, but political ambition. Canada can choose to treat nuclear energy as a legacy sector to be managed cautiously; or as a strategic asset to be expanded confidently. If it chooses the latter, Durham should be at the centre of that vision. Industrial revival will not be built by slogans or subsidies alone. It will be built by regions that can deliver power, skills, and confidence at scale. Durham already does. The question is: are political leaders at all levels finally prepared to listen and act to develop the remarkable, resource-rich country that Canada truly is?