SASKATOON — The provincial government will be partnering with the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence and Canadian nuclear fuel services provider Cameco in emphasizing nuclear power as part of its energy security strategy> The plan was announced on Monday at Cameco’s executive offices at the River Landing Tower.
Crown Investments Corp. Minister Jeremy Harrison, First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence president and CEO Sheldon Wuttunee, and Cameco president and CEO Tim Gitzel were present in making the announcement, which highlights nuclear energy as the cornerstone of Saskatchewan’s future in power generation.
Harrison said the energy strategy aims to ensure affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for the province, gradually reduce dependence on coal-powered plants, and position Saskatchewan as an innovator in nuclear power development. Cameco is a Canadian company and one of the world’s largest uranium producers.
“Saskatchewan is extending the life of its coal plants beyond 2050 while developing both SMR and large-scale nuclear options. As for nuclear, obviously, we would like it to go faster and that's been a part of the conversation with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. Are there steps that we can accelerate or do concurrently through that licensing process? We're going to work with CNSC on all of those questions. We've been working very closely with GE Hitachi as well,” said Harrison.
He added that coal will bridge the energy gap until nuclear reactors are operational, with small modular reactors expected to be producing power by the mid-2030s. The government views investment in nuclear power generation as affordable and essential for long-term energy security, citing opportunities for public-private partnerships and potential federal involvement to share costs and national benefits.
Wuttunee said the collaborative approach is one of their ways to serve the interests of First Nations peoples as they move forward and take an essential step toward economic reconciliation, while the world shifts toward the nuclear age.
“As First Nations, our leadership have developed economic development corporations that have become very sophisticated and very adept in economic development. As we move forward being met by those opportunities in the new and emerging sector new nuclear as we call it in Saskatchewan, there is a lot of excitement. We will ensure that the relationships are continuing to be built but more important that trust is built with our First Nations leadership, our people and our elders,” he added.
“Education, capacity building and the relationship of trust is going to be absolutely critical to the success of the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan. And those relationships have been built over many years and will continue to the future. We're highly excited for the strategy, and the partnerships are extremely important across the board. We've developed an organization like the Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence to play that role of interface between government and industry in our First Nations. We work on behalf of our First Nations. We're very proud to do so and it's a privilege to be here once again.”
The plan includes a $700-million northern grid connection project to improve reliability and integrate the northern and southern power systems. It is a critical part of Saskatchewan’s energy strategy, which emphasizes innovation and collaboration among partners to advance nuclear power as a long-term solution while fostering Indigenous partnerships and ensuring a future of reliable, affordable and secure energy generation.
