CNL and AECL welcomes Government of Canada and local representatives for ground-breaking ceremony at the Chalk River Laboratories
Chalk River, ON – July 29, 2021 – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), a federal Crown corporation responsible to enable nuclear science and technology, are pleased to announce that they welcomed a number of guests and dignitaries to the Chalk River Laboratories campus today to celebrate the construction of the Science Collaboration Centre. CNL President and CEO, Joe McBrearty, was joined by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources, Marc Serré, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) President and CEO, Fred Dermarkar, and other local elected officials for a ground-breaking ceremony to mark the occasion.
Scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023, the new Science Collaboration Centre will serve as the central planning and collaboration space for CNL’s science and technology programs. The new facility will also feature modern office space and meeting rooms for approximately 450 employees, and serve as a new home for CNL’s data centre.
“On behalf of CNL, I want to thank Mr. Serré and Mr. Dermarkar for taking time out of their busy schedules to help us celebrate the construction of this exciting new building,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “Once complete, the Science Collaboration Centre will change the way we conduct work at CNL, providing us with a modern, flexible and sustainable collaboration centre to plan and pursue our research. It is also one of a handful of new buildings that will help transform the site into a ‘smart campus,’ which is at the centre of our vision for the future of the Chalk River Laboratories.”
“The Science Collaboration Centre is one of three buildings rising up at Chalk River that showcase the benefits of using wood to combat a changing climate while supporting the ambitious revitalization, and work, of Canada’s premier nuclear research facility,” said Parliamentary Secretary Serré. “The Government of Canada is proud to have supported their construction through a $4 million contribution as we remain committed to creating a cleaner, more sustainable and inclusive future.”
“The Science Collaboration Centre demonstrates how the Chalk River Laboratories are being transformed into a world-class, state-of-the-art nuclear science and technology campus,” added Fred Dermarkar, President and CEO of AECL. “Not only are we investing in the future of science and innovation in Canada, but we are doing it responsibly by using sustainability as a driver for design and construction. This is the future of science, clean technologies and clean energy.”
The Science Collaboration Centre is one of a series of new ‘enabling’ buildings that are being constructed at the Chalk River Laboratories site to revitalize the campus, thanks to a $1.2 billion investment over ten years from AECL and the Government of Canada. Among the many environmentally-friendly features of the facility, it uses a new generation of mass timber products sourced from within Canada as the main structural construction material, a renewable resource that reduces the site’s carbon footprint. It was also constructed using strategies that include sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.
This and other new buildings at the Chalk River Laboratories are part of a ten-year capital program, started in 2016, that is designed to transform the Chalk River Laboratories through the revitalization of essential site infrastructure and a significant investment in new, world-class science facilities. In addition to the Science Collaboration Centre, a new 2-storey industrial-use support facility was recently inaugurated, a new site entrance building is nearing completion, and several science facilities have been opened in the last few years, including a brand new hydrogen laboratory complex, a new materials research laboratory, and a new tritium laboratory.
Major investments have also been made into infrastructure improvements for the campus, including new domestic water and natural gas service, a modern sanitary sewage treatment facility, and a system to more effectively manage storm water. For more information on CNL, including the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories campus, please visit www.cnl.ca.
About CNL
Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is a world leader in nuclear science and technology offering unique capabilities and solutions across a wide range of industries. Actively involved with industry-driven research and development in nuclear, transportation, clean technology, energy, defence, security and life sciences, we provide solutions to keep these sectors competitive internationally.
With ongoing investments in new facilities and a focused mandate, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is well positioned for the future. A new performance standard reinforced with a strong safety culture underscores every activity.
For more information on the complete range of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories services, please visit www.cnl.ca or contact communications@cnl.ca.
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CNL Contact:
Patrick Quinn
Director, Corporate Communications
CNL, 1-866-886-2325
