Fact Finding Road Trip to Bruce Power in Kincardine, Ontario #PowerONroadtrip

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As we prepare for our annual summer vacation, I look forward to returning to Bruce County and the Bruce Peninsula.  It is one of my favourite areas in Ontario. Due in no small part to the beautiful beaches of Lake Huron and varied cottage country located just 165 km from London.  This is Southwestern Ontario at its best.  I love the drive up highway 21 through Goderich, Kincardine, Port Elgin/Southhampton, Saugeen Shores towards the Bruce Peninsula as you drive through Huron, Grey and Bruce Counties. On our travels, we love to take day trips or mini-road trips in this region of Ontario.

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There are plenty of places to visit, and I have to say, we have seen our share of beaches, provincial parks and small town attractions. One place that we have often driven by is the Bruce Power plant located in Tiverton which is in the Municipality of Kincardine.  Located about 2.5 hours from Toronto and 2 hours from London, it is close enough to make a day of it.  Bruce Power is Canada’s first private nuclear generating station and the world’s largest operating nuclear power plant. It provides 30 per cent of low-cost, emissions-free, reliable electricity to residents of Ontario.

I think since I was a kid, I’ve always found the idea of visiting a nuclear power plant fascinating.  I recently found out that in the months of July and August, Bruce Power offers free bus tours to the public of their site. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see the site up close to learn more about Bruce Power. I decided to make it a part of our vacation with a road trip up to Kincardine.  To say that my son and husband are really looking forward to this day trip is an understatement. I have my own reasons for going.

My interest in nuclear power was peaked when I heard that there was a shortage of medical isotopes. These isotopes help in the diagnosis and the treatment of cancer patients. Although, there are different types of medical isotopes, I’ve come to understand that certain medical isotopes are created after they are used in nuclear power.  Bruce Power is exploring a number of ways in which it can help with world’s supply of required medical isotopes. Typically power reactors do not produce medical isotopes, but Bruce Power is currently researching the ways to produce medical isotopes in its power reactors. Its main contribution at this time is the production of cobalt 60 in the Bruce B reactor units. Cobalt 60 is used for a number of crucial purposes including food irradiation, the sterilization of single-use medical instruments and the eradication of the Zika virus. The production of High-Specific Activity (HSA) Cobalt is currently under development at Bruce Power and has the ability to treat brain tumours via a technology called Gamma Knife.  Since three nuclear power plants provide 60% of Ontario’s electrical power (with the help of Pickering and Darlington Power stations) there is a lot to learn.

I appreciate that the tour will include a drive-by bus tour of both Bruce A and B generating stations (which have four units each), and the historic Douglas Point generating station (it began producing electricity in 1967 and shut down in 1984).  Bruce Power is almost a small city with its own works department, fire department, emergency response team, laundry facility, learning center and medical staff.  There are 56 km of road over 2300 acres.  In and around there are 235 species of plants, 200 species of wildlife including 150 bird species, 15 kinds of reptiles and amphibians, 20 types of mammals and 90 varieties of fish.  All of this is run by over 4,000 permanent employees.  I just bet you did not know any of that!

The other reason I wanted to visit is to ask about how Bruce Power and its employees support their community. Kincardine is located on the beautiful shores of Lake Huron  but it’s far away from the big city. I’m curious as to who is drawn to this rural area.  Why do people from around the world come to Bruce Power to work?  I got one clue as I scrolled through their Instagram feed.  Scattered through their feed, you’ll see how they invest millions in communities within the Bruce, Grey and Huron counties. I was delighted to see that over $100,000 of educational scholarships go to elementary, secondary and  post secondary! Other charities that they support represent a variety (and  diversity) of causes: The Costal Centre, Kincardine Scottish Festival, The Lighthouse Blues Festival, Pride Kincardine,  United Way of Bruce Grey, Huron Fringe Birding Festival, The Kincardine Women’s Triathlon and many Mental Health initiatives (a topic near and dear to my heart).  Employees dig deep by giving at home and abroad with gate collection donations for those affected by the Nepal Earthquake and Fort McMurray fire.  Truly there are too many great organizations to name here. This is why I’m interested in this giving-back-to-the-community culture.

At times we are quick to dismiss small towns and ignore the community involvement of large companies. There is much mystery for me in Bruce Power and the nuclear power industry.  I am willing take a step towards learning more about how this collaboration between private and public partners to provide 30% of the electrical power to the second largest province in Canada.  Follow along with me when I visit Bruce Power in early August.  Follow the #PowerONRoadtrip for more details both on the blog, Facebook, twitter and Instagram (@DownshiftingPRO).

What you need to know:

Location: 177 Tie Rd., R.R. 2, Tiverton,Ontario N0G 2T0
Phone:  519-361-7777 (for reservations) Toll Free: 1 866 748 4787

Bruce Power Tours run seven days a week from Sunday, July 1, to Friday, Aug. 31, at 11 a.m., and 1 and 2 p.m. Please note: the Visitors’ Centre is closed statutory holidays, so there will be no tours available on Monday, Aug. 6.

Bus tours are free, but pre-registration is required by visiting: http://www.brucepower.com/bustours

Valid government photo ID is required for all tour participants on the day of the tour. Children under the age of 18 must be with a parent or guardian who can vouch for their identity. Participants are asked to arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled departure time for a safety briefing. The tour lasts about an hour.

You can also follow the on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Disclosure: I was graciously invited by Bruce Power to visit them.  This is sponsored post and for such I have been compensated.  All opinions are my own. 

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