Pinawa was built on a bold idea: that a community nestled in the boreal forest of Manitoba could sit at the very cutting edge of science, clean energy, and nation-building technology. That heritage isn’t just history, it is in the DNA of our town. The decision by the federal government to decommission the Whiteshell Laboratories site was an economic and psychological blow to our town. But, I believe that a set-back doesn’t have to define who you are.
Today, nuclear energy is having a worldwide renaissance. Across Canada and around the globe, people are realizing that reaching a clean, reliable, zero-emission energy future requires nuclear power working alongside renewables.
For the past several years, Mayor Blair Skinner helped keep that spark of hope alive in Pinawa by championing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), specifically of the micro-reactors type. That vision matters. But as we look to the next decade, hope alone isn’t a strategy. We need a clear roadmap and the persistence to turn opportunities into real jobs and investment for our town. A good working relationship with CNL and AECL is important for the LGD of Pinawa.
Here is what the nuclear and Whiteshell landscape looks like today, why preserving our site is our greatest economic opportunity, and how we take this vision to the next level.
Understanding the SMR Landscape: Hope Grounded in Reality
There is genuine excitement around Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and micro-reactors, and for good reason. Partnering with Indigenous Nations on clean-energy equity and power generation is one of the most promising frontiers in Canada’s energy transition.
However, moving a new reactor design from concept to reality is a long and rigorous journey:
- The Regulatory Mountain: Before any new reactor can be built, it must navigate years of licensing and safety reviews with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
- The Economics of First-of-a-Kind: Developing a new reactor requires massive upfront capital. The real economic payoff comes after multiple units are built and operating.
- The National Playing Field: Provinces like Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and New Brunswick have already signed an interprovincial agreement on SMRs. Ontario is building the BWRX-300 grid-scale SMR at Darlington, while Saskatchewan is planning new nuclear capacity. Manitoba has not yet signed on, meaning our province has been sitting on the sidelines of major federal funding and regional partnerships.
What does this mean for Pinawa? It means we must be smart, open, and forward-looking.
Carrying the torch for clean energy means we cannot tie our entire future to any single private company or one specific design. We need to be a welcoming home for innovation across the board, whether that is micro-reactors, grid-scale SMRs, isotope production, or non-nuclear clean technology.
Why Preserving Whiteshell Infrastructure is Our Story of Hope
The Federal Government made the decision to decommission back when people thought nuclear energy’s future was over. Right now, the federal government is spending roughly $130 million a year, totalling over $1.3 billion over the next ten years, to decommission Whiteshell Laboratories. That is an astonishing amount of money to destroy something that actually has immense potential.
The current end-state plan is to tear down virtually every building. But think about what is actually out there today:
- A dedicated water treatment plant and industrial lagoon
- Fully serviced heavy electrical feeds and power distribution
- Paved road networks and utility corridors
- Specialized Hot Cells (critical, high-value facilities for producing medical isotopes)
- Administrative office complexes and a fire department facility
- A licensed nuclear site boundary, one of the rarest and most valuable regulatory assets in Canada.
Tearing all of that down to bare earth doesn’t help Pinawa. If an industrial company or clean-tech startup looks at an empty field 100 kilometers from Winnipeg with no rail link, and a buried reactor behind a fence; that’s not attractive to anyone. The cost to build roads, power lines, and water plants from scratch is simply too high.
Preserving that infrastructure is our story of hope.
If we protect those assets, we offer future clean-tech businesses, isotope producers, and advanced manufacturing companies a ready-to-use platform with millions of dollars in existing utility value. That means lower costs for them, faster startup times, and real, long-term jobs and municipal tax revenue for Pinawa.
Doing the Homework: What Real Advocacy Looks Like
Turning this potential into reality requires rolling up our sleeves and doing the detailed work. I understand the assignment.
When Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) asked Council to pass a standard resolution supporting their end-state plan to remove all above-ground assets, I stepped forward to examine the fine print. I rewrote the resolution to make our community’s position clear: Pinawa expects an alternate plan that protects useful infrastructure for future industrial and clean-energy redevelopment. Council passed that resolution, marking the first time that our town established a formal, recorded policy decision defending our long-term economic interests at Whiteshell. We need to push that regionally right up to the Ministerial level. In this challenging time, Canada should be looking for opportunities to make the most of what we have. We cannot afford, as a Nation, to squander this opportunity. We want to be part of Canada’s future. (Click here to learn more about why resolutions are important)
When I was Deputy Mayor, I attended the Generation IV and Small Reactors (G4SR) national conference in Ottawa with Mayor Skinner, which was very informative for me. It was there that I participated directly in working sessions on micro-reactor regulatory frameworks. Micro-reactors may be useful for protecting energy security in remote communities in Canada, as well as for our Department of National Defence. Did you know that there are dozens of different micro-reactor designs and startups? Starcore Nuclear is one of them; but none of them have been able to get off the ground, for a host of reasons. A federal working group was being stood to figure out how to overcome those hurdles. I was able to pitch to the organizers and successfully secure three Pinawa and Whiteshell representatives, including our Mayor, onto national working committees that help shape Canadian standards. If I hadn’t done that, the Whiteshell site would have been completely left out of that important conversation.
And in discussions with provincial leaders, including the Minister of Innovation and New Technology, I have actively advocated for Manitoba to join the national SMR dialogue, pointing to Darlington’s success and showing how Pinawa can be at the centre of a Western Canadian energy economy, with uranium from Saskatchewan powering clean innovation right here at Whiteshell, and future storage at Ignace. Ontario, with federal support, is building up to four BWRX-300 units at Darlington, and the federal government has framed new nuclear as a nation-building priority. Western Canada should be a part of that, and Whiteshell is the obvious choice.
The Road Ahead
Pinawa’s future will not be built on passive waiting or informal promises, or putting all our eggs in one basket. It will be built on professional advocacy, strategic foresight, and an unapologetic ambition for what our community can achieve. I believe this will take an all-of-council, and whole-community approach, no one person can accomplish it all. This is a team effort. Hope alone isn’t a strategy for Pinawa’s future. Moving from promising ideas to real jobs requires a concrete roadmap, regional leverage, and relentless advocacy to protect our billion-dollar infrastructure before it’s gone.
Ambition without knowledge is hollow. Yes, I do think big. Yes, I do believe in bold action.
Pinawa has the heritage, the people, and the physical assets to lead once again in clean energy and industrial innovation. That is the vision I will continue to champion, and that is the dedicated leadership I will bring as your Mayor.
The Whiteshell Laboratories have immense potential. Only by working together, can we unlock it.
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Michael King 