The Bruce Power Retooling and Economic Recovery Council has unveiled a series of initiatives to assist in the fight against COVID-19 and support Ontario's economic recovery.
Bruce Power's President and CEO Mike Rencheck, joined Vic Fedeli, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; and Lisa Thompson, Huron-Bruce MPP and the Minister of Government and Consumer Services on a Facebook Live event today
"The nuclear industry has a vital role to play in the production of medical isotopes, especially as the health-care community in Canada and internationally, fights the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rencheck. “This Retooling and Economic Recovery Council is allowing us to bring together smart, skilled, innovative people from our supply chain and work with the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to not only help people’s lives during this health crisis but to collaborate on a plan to help restore the economy.”
Bruce Power also announced it will be carrying out a second harvest of the isotope used to sterilize medical equipment called Cobalt-60 starting next quarter. To put the size of this harvest into perspective, it is expected to provide enough Cobalt to sterilize up to 11-billion pairs of surgical gloves and swabs globally.
"Our government commends Bruce Power for its leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Fedeli said. “Along with its suppliers and partners, they are truly demonstrating Ontario Spirit by answering the call for help to donate, retool, and produce critical personal protective equipment. Bruce Power is home to Canada's largest private-funded infrastructure project and is a crucial source of isotopes such as Cobalt-60, which are vital to the sterilization of medical equipment here in Canada and around the world."
The latest Cobalt-60 harvest will be sent to Nordion and the Ottawa-based company will process and then distribute it to health-care facilities around the world for the sterilization of medical equipment. During this pandemic, the need for medical isotopes has taken on greater urgency because of its effectiveness and reliability in sterilizing drapes, gowns, surgical gloves, scalpels, and other single-use medical devices.
"Bruce Power's efforts to support communities not just in Huron-Bruce, but across Ontario including our First Nations communities during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be understated,” said Thompson. “Their leadership resulted in donations of food to local food banks, for medical research and for personal protective equipment and hand sanitizer. I'm proud that Bruce Power stands well-positioned to be a leader in Ontario's economic recovery and job-creation efforts not just in Huron-Bruce but right across our province."
Introduced on April 30, the Council was created to leverage the province’s robust nuclear supply chain to help during the current health crisis and to play an instrumental role in revitalizing the economy when the pandemic ends. Bruce Power has partnered with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and supply chain partners in the nuclear industry, many of which are involved in the Life-Extension Program which is the largest private-sector infrastructure project in Canada.
One of the Council’s members, Promation, has developed a low-cost ventilator in response to the potential of a sudden surge in demand because of COVID-19 or other future emergencies. The Oakville-based custom design and manufacturing firm, which is supporting Bruce Power’s Major Component Replacement Project, collaborated with scientists and industry experts at University Health Network, University of Toronto, and Mackenzie Innovation Institute to develop the ventilators. The design can be easily mass-produced, and the company is sharing its knowledge with other teams globally.
The Council also announced today the launch of its website at www.rerc.ca , where visitors can access information on the Council, its members, and initiatives that have been developed. The website also hosts a database for personal protective equipment (PPE) with information on what the supply chain has available, companies with the ability to produce additional PPE, and guidance for securing materials to safely operate businesses.
