After years of scanning federal budgets for any mention of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd or the nuclear industry in general, this year’s budget delivered last week by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is… different, to say the least.
Nuclear power, nuclear science and the nuclear industry are all over Budget 2026, with the word “nuclear” itself featured no less than 68 times.
In particular, “Growing Canada’s nuclear advantage” is a featured section under the budget’s plans for “Building a cleaner, more competitive economy.”
“Nuclear energy is playing a growing role around the world as countries look for reliable, low-carbon electricity to meet rising demand and strengthen their energy security,” the budget document notes.
“Canada has a world-class nuclear sector and is well positioned to benefit from this demand, both domestically and internationally.”
The budget also suggests that nuclear energy is “essential to powering Canada’s future.”
“It provides non-emitting, dependable baseload power, backed by a strong domestic supply chain built on over 70 years of Canadian expertise, innovation, and intellectual property.
“Today, the nuclear sector is responsible for 90,000 direct and indirect jobs, and in the nuclear industry itself, 90% of jobs are in high-skilled roles.
“Nuclear energy contributes 13% of our national electricity supply, and it adds $22 billion to Canada’s economy every year through the operation of 17 Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactors at home and the servicing of nine reactors abroad in countries like Romania, India, and South Korea.
“We are committed to keeping this Canadian technology market-ready for use at home and in international markets”…
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