Representatives for Bruce Power will appear in Walkerton court later this month to respond to two charges brought under the Fisheries Act, after millions of Gizzard Shad were killed in the plant's cooling intake last February.
Near-freezing water temperatures in Lake Huron that year led to an estimated eight million Gizzard Shad gathering in the vicinty of Bruce A that month.
On February 13, 2025, Bruce Power had to shut down Unit 2 due to a "higher-than-expected" amount of Gizzard Shad entering the pumphouse.
According to internal memos obtained and shared by CBC, the total number of fish impinged between January 30, 2025 and March 26, 2025, was between 3.8 million and 5 million.
The company now faces charges for causing the death of fish through non-fishing industrial operations as well as violating the conditions of its environmental permit. The permit allows for a maximum annual loss of 6,600 kg of fish.
The case will appear in Provincial Offences Administration Court on November 24 at 10 a.m..
"As this matter is before the courts, we cannot comment on how we intend to plead or provide additional commentary relating to the charges," said Maggie Tieman, Bruce Power's Director of Community and External Affairs, in an email.
Steps were taken to protect fish in the winter of 2026 and moving forward, including putting up chain nets, deploying acoustic and strobe light deterrents, and expanded lake monitoring and research to better understand fish movement.
According to a February 2 letter from Bruce Power to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the company has invested nearly $10 million in mitigation strategies.
In a statement shared last month, Bruce Power said it has been transparent with regulators, First Nations and loca municipalities about its response. However, a livestream of a "Fish City" near the nuclear plant this spring did prompt backlash from Saugeen Ojibway Nation.
