Ontario Expanding Ability to Process Cancer Fighting Medical Isotopes

• With electricity demand projected to rise by 75% by 2050, our PC government is ensuring a reliable and affordable energy future, stepping in where previous Liberal policies fell short. 

• Nuclear energy provides over 50% of Ontario’s clean power and enables us to produce life-saving medical isotopes essential in modern cancer treatments.

• Ontario is executing on our vision to become an entirely self-sustaining global leader in nuclear energy. To help deliver on this, Ontario is stepping up to domesticate the processing of very specialized cancer-treating medical isotopes here in Ontario by investing in Bruce Power’s new hot cell facility.

• This strategic investment will allow Ontario to double its medical isotope production and produce and process the critical cancer-fighting isotope lutetium-177 domestically to treat prostate cancer.

• This announcement is built on the success of Ontario being the first jurisdiction in the world to produce medical isotopes in a commercial power reactor, enabling us to produce medical isotopes on a much larger scale, providing essential tools in modern cancer treatment.

• Our government is also announcing that Bruce Power will begin refurbishing Unit 4 on February 1, 2025, joining the ongoing refurbishment of Unit 3. Altogether, Ontario plans to refurbish six Bruce units (Units 3 to 8) by 2033, extending their operating lives by at least 30 years.

• While the Liberals turned their backs on nuclear energy workers, our government is delivering a strong return on investment for Ontario by generating 22,000 jobs annually and adding $4 billion in economic benefits each year through the Bruce refurbishment and long-term operation.

• We remain the only political party with a serious plan to safeguard Ontario’s energy supply while ensuring we produce more life-saving medical isotopes to the country and the world.