Premier Doug Ford Directs $500 Million for Ontario Nuclear Supply Chain and Small Business Tooling

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce announced on Monday a $500 million expansion of the Ontario Nuclear Supply Chain and Innovation Fund, providing matching capital grants of up to $2 million for 250 small and mid-sized precision machining, valve fabrication, and electrical component manufacturing companies across Ontario.

The funding enables local tooling and advanced fabrication shops to obtain rigorous nuclear-grade ASME N-stamp and CSA N299 quality certifications required to bid on multi-billion-dollar refurbishment contracts at the Bruce, Darlington, and Pickering Nuclear Generating Stations, as well as Ontario Power Generation's construction of four GE Hitachi BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactors at Darlington.

Anchoring the North American Nuclear Manufacturing Supply Chain Ontario's nuclear industry already supports over 76,000 high-paying jobs and generates over 50 percent of the province's clean electricity. Expanding domestic component fabrication keeps manufacturing capital in Ontario rather than importing specialized components from Europe or Asia.

"Ontario's nuclear industry is the powerhouse of our economy, and we are building the world's most advanced nuclear supply chain right here at home," Premier Doug Ford said during an announcement at BWXT Canada in Cambridge. "We are building four new small modular reactors at Darlington and extending the life of our nuclear stations to power our growing province with clean, reliable electricity. This $500 million investment helps hundreds of local Ontario machine shops and parts makers get certified, win major nuclear contracts, and hire more skilled union tradespeople."

Grant Program Elements and Technical Certification The $500 million package funds:

• Nuclear Quality Assurance Certification Grants: 50 percent matching grants for tooling shops upgrading cleanrooms, CMM inspection equipment, and metallurgical testing.
• SMR Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships: Supporting fabrication of reactor pressure vessel internals, control rod drives, and heat exchangers.
• Skilled Nuclear Trades Apprenticeship Subsidies: Funding specialized nuclear welding and non-destructive inspection training for 2,000 young apprentices.

Nuclear industry association executives, chamber presidents, and union leaders praised the funding, pointing out that nuclear-certified Ontario suppliers are now exporting components to international nuclear projects in the United States and Europe.