Take A Day Trip to Lake Huron on Highway 21 #PowerONroadtrip

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The one hour bus tour definitely educated us on the largest producer of power in Ontario.  We learned a lot about the development and the future of Bruce Power.  More importantly on how it will continue to produce clean-carbon-free energy until 2064.  Did you know nuclear energy is carbon-free?  I didn’t.  Here are a few things that we learned on our bus tour:

• Over 15,000 people visited in 2017 (The Bruce Power Visitors’ Centre is open year round but bus tours are only  in July & August)
• All of Bruce Power is located on 2,300 acres with 56 km of roads and has over 235 species of plans & 200 species of wildlife
• This is a private-public partnership employs over 4,000 people and more personnel when it is in a ‘maintenance’ cycle
• Nuclear energy provides 63% of power to Ontario (hydro 26%, wind 6 %, natural  gas/oil 4% and solar/biofuel 1% each)
• The Bruce Power plant is one of four operating CANDU sites in Canada (Darlington and Pickering are the other two in Ontario)
• Bruce Power is the world’s  largest operating  nuclear facility with  eight CANDU units currently working – four in Bruce ‘A’ and four in Bruce ‘B’
• Bruce Power generates electricity that is fed into the power grid that supports the Eastern Interconnection (including Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario,and a large part of the central and  eastern USA)
• They invest in their community: actively encourages indigenous scholarships and hiring practices from the first nations in and around the area
• Bruce Power annually invests over $2 million in the community through its Community Investment and Sponsorship Program
• Interesting to note: Bruce Power had the first wind farm in Ontario

Overall, this trip to Bruce Power with all our stops along the way was a huge success.  My mother-in-law loved visiting an area that she is unfamiliar with (as she is from British Columbia).  Our son took a keen interest in the different displays in the Visitors’ Centre.  To be able to see in person how power is generated was fascinating for him.  For both my husband and myself, reading about the CANDU reactors was super interesting.  We recalled learning about them in elementary school back in the 70s.

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We also loved the drive around in the electric car as an added bonus.  Knowing that Bruce Power continues to add charging stations throughout Ontario gave us cause to consider a carbon-free alternative. There is no question I recommend this road trip for any family.  Whether you are camping, renting a cottage or on your way to the Bruce Peninsula this has to be one of the best day trips to Lake Huron that we’ve done as a family.

What you need to know to tour Bruce Power:

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.

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.

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 🥾 Explore: Tours & Experiences
🏡 Where to Stay: Top Accommodations
🚙 Hit the Road: Car Rental Deals
🛫 Get Away: Find Flight Deals
🎒 Shop: Travel Essentials