Canada has an active

anti-nuclear movement The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental movements, and professional organisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local, natio ...

, which includes major campaigning organisations like

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

and the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who b ...

. Over 300 public interest groups across Canada have endorsed the mandate of the Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout (CNP). Some

environmental organisations An environmental organization is an organization coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces. In this sense the environmen ...

such as Energy Probe, the Pembina Institute and the

Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility Canada has an active anti-nuclear movement, which includes major campaigning organisations like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club. Over 300 public interest groups across Canada have endorsed the mandate of the Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout (CNP). Som ...

(CCNR) are reported to have developed considerable expertise on

nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced b ...

and energy issues. There is also a long-standing tradition of indigenous opposition to

uranium mining Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. Over 50 thousand tons of uranium were produced in 2019. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia were the top three uranium producers, respectively, and together account f ...

.Lutz Mez,

Mycle Schneider Mycle Schneider (pronounced '' Michael'', /ˈmaɪkəl/) (born 1959 in Cologne) is a Paris-based nuclear energy consultant and anti-nuclear activist. He is the lead author of ''The World Nuclear Industry Status Reports''. He has advised members o ...

and Steve Thomas (Eds.) (2009). ''International Perspectives of Energy Policy and the Role of Nuclear Power'', Multi-Science Publishing Co. Ltd, p. 257.Lutz Mez, Mycle Schneider and Steve Thomas (Eds.) (2009). ''International Perspectives of Energy Policy and the Role of Nuclear Power'', Multi-Science Publishing Co. Ltd, p. 279.

Emergence of the movement

The anti-nuclear movement in Canada began as a part of the overall peace movement within Canada. The impetus for the anti-nuclear movement can be ascribed to the threat of nuclear arms during the Cold War, and the ineffectiveness of the United Nations in resolving the political tensions. As a result of numerous incidents and pressures, multiple notable groups were established in Canada to fulfill this purpose, including: the Canadian Committee for the Control of Radiation Hazards, the Voice of Women, and numerous student organizations in the country.McMahon, Patricia I. 1999
“THE POLITICS OF CANADA'S NUCLEAR POLICY
1957-1 963 .” Thesis, Ottawa: National Library of Canada. University of Toronto. P. 139 The first Canadian organization established centered around nuclear concerns was the ECCRH (Edmonton Committee for the Control of Radiation Hazards). This society was formed in 1958 by Mary Von Stolk. She was introduced to the anti-nuclear movement through a social connection to the American National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy. The purpose of the ECCRH wasn't the disarmament of nuclear weapons from the Canadian military, but rather they aimed to educate the public on the dangers of nuclear fallout produced by the usage of nuclear weapons. The Edmonton Committee for the Control of Radiation Hazards later changed its name to the Canadian Committee for the Control of Radiation Hazards, to reflect its growing national following, as well as aspirations to influence federal policy. Von Stolk now aimed to persuade Diefenbaker to reject nuclear weapons for the Canadian forces, as well as bring awareness to the organization's original goal of bringing awareness to the effects of nuclear fallout. In addition to the CCCRH (Canadian Committee for the Control of Radiation Hazards), the Voice of Women was founded shortly after the U-2 Affair. Lotta Dempsey, a columnist for the

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and par ...

, called for the formation of a group to oppose nuclear arms in response to the aforementioned U-2 Affair. They sought to lobby directly against nuclear armaments by approaching politicians directly, and establishing grassroots connections with women in other nations. They received an endorsement from Mrs. Pearson, who was the wife of the leader of the Parliamentary opposition, Lester B. Pearson.

Context

According to a 2006 opinion poll commissioned by the BBC, 91 per cent of Canadians surveyed were "concerned" or "very concerned" that "the way the world produces and uses energy is causing environmental problems, including climate change" and 85 per cent were concerned (or very concerned) "that energy shortages and prices will destabilize the world economy". In terms of available energy options which may help to address these problems:

...91% (of which 66% strongly) were in favour of "creating tax incentives to encourage the development and use of alternative energy sources, such as solar or
wind power Wind power or wind energy is mostly the use of wind turbines to generate electricity. Wind power is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source that has a much smaller impact on the environment than burning fossil fuels. Historically ...
". Asked whether "building new nuclear power plants, to reduce reliance on oil and coal" would be a good idea, 52% agreed (of which 22% strongly) while 43% disagreed (of which 25% strongly).

International nuclear policy consultant

has reported that, as of June 2007, the overall lifetime load factor of the 22 Canadian nuclear reactors was 68.5%, which is quite a poor performance by global standards. The

CANDU reactor The CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium) is a Canadian pressurized heavy-water reactor design used to generate electric power. The acronym refers to its deuterium oxide ( heavy water) moderator and its use of (originally, natural) uranium fuel. C ...

s have "experienced a large number of technical problems, several of which had significant safety relevance". Canada is the world's second largest producer of uranium (Kazakhstan is the largest producer, Canada was until 2008) and has therefore accumulated very large amounts of mine waste. This waste amounts to "several hundred million tonnes and about 400 million cubic meters of contaminated process water".

Algonquin tribe

Members of the Algonquin tribe have been peacefully blockading a uranium mining operation on their sacred lands north of

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between Tor ...

since June 29, 2007. Other indigenous opposition against uranium mining has become a long-standing tradition, particularly in Saskatchewan.

Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout

The Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout (CNP) represents a coalition of Canadian public interest organizations concerned with the environmental impacts of

generation. CNP's mandate is supported by over 300

advocacy groups Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...

from across Canada. In 2003, Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout commissioned the report ''Phasing Out Nuclear Power in Canada'', which outlined a possible scenario where the central coal and nuclear plants in Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick could be phased out as they reach the end of their operational lifespan, to be replaced with a combination of more

efficient energy use Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the process of reducing the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a building allows it to use less heating and cooling energy to ...

, expansion of combined heat and power technology, and deployment of

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

and distributed sources of power generation.

Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility

CCNR is a non-profit organization, federally incorporated since 1978. It conducts education and research on issues related to nuclear energy, whether civilian or military (including non-nuclear alternatives), especially those pertaining to Canada. Its president is Gordon Edwards.

Greenpeace Canada

Greenpeace Canada argues that nuclear power is an unacceptable risk to the environment and to humanity, and that the only solution is to halt the expansion of all nuclear power and to shut down existing plants. Greenpeace Canada believes Canada needs an energy system that can combat climate change, based on

and energy efficiency.

Energy Probe

Energy Probe is a consumer and environmental research team, which is opposed to nuclear power, and dedicated to resource conservation, economic efficiency, and effective utility regulation. Founded in 1970 as a sister project of Pollution Probe and incorporated in 1980 as EPRF Energy Probe Research Foundation, Energy Probe led the opposition to Ontario Hydro's nuclear expansion plans starting in 1974. Energy Probe's plans to break up Ontario Hydro's monopoly and end support for nuclear power were endorsed in 1984 by the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party and the Ontario New Democratic Party, the two opposition parties at the time. Later, the Ontario Conservative Party led by Mike Harris formally adopted Energy Probe's positions in its Common Sense Revolution.

Energy Quest 4 Nanticoke

Energy Quest 4 Nanticoke was formed to raise awareness on energy options for the Ontario regions of Haldimand/Norfolk/Brant/Hamilton, as the county councils of Norfolk and Haldimand endorsed an Environmental Assessment on a nuclear reactor at Nanticoke without meaningful public debate.

Inter-Church Uranium Committee Educational Co-operative

The Inter-Church Uranium Committee Educational Co-operative (ICUCEC) is a church coalition that educates people about the nuclear industry in Saskatchewan and wants to halt all nuclear development in the province, including the mining of uranium.

Nuclear Free Great Lakes Campaign

The Nuclear Free

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

Campaign consists of eight safe-energy organizations from Canada and the United States dedicated to the cessation of

radioactive contamination Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirab ...

of the

Basin, and the removal of nuclear power from the area.

Peace River Environmental Society

Peace River Environmental Society fought Bruce Power's plans to build a nuclear power plant in northern Alberta. In December 2011, the company abandoned its plan to build up to four nuclear reactors that could produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity at a site 30 kilometres north of Peace River.

Pembina Institute

The Pembina Institute is a Canadian not-for-profit

environmental policy Environmental policy is the commitment of an organization or government to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues. These issues generally include air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem ma ...

research and education organization specializing in the fields of

sustainable energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as green ...

, community sustainability,

global warming In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

and corporate

environmental management Environmental resource management is the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. It is not, as the phrase might suggest, the management of the environment itself. Environmental resources management aims ...

. Founded in 1985, the Institute has offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto. In 2006 the Institute released the report ''Nuclear Power in Canada: An Examination of Risks, Impacts and Sustainability''.

Port Hope Community Health Concerns Committee

The Port Hope Community Health Concerns Committee (PHCHCC) is an incorporated nonprofit community organization which aims to produce a comprehensive independent health assessment about long term exposure to radioactive and heavy metal contaminants from sixty years of nuclear industry operations in

Port Hope, Ontario Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, approximately east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County. ...

Port Hope Families Against Radiation Exposure

The Port Hope Families Against Radiation Exposure group consists of 1570 concerned residents of Port Hope who are monitoring the activities of the nuclear industry, following a 16-month campaign against the plans of Cameco Corporation to enrich uranium.

Safe and Green Energy Peterborough

In 2009, Safe and Green Energy Peterborough received $37,000 from a federal agency to review its study for the proposed Darlington Nuclear Power Plant expansion.

Save Our Saskatchewan

Save Our Saskatchewan is a group of local residents opposed to nuclear development in Saskatchewan.

Sierra Club of Canada

The

Sierra Club of Canada Sierra Club Canada (SCC) is a Canadian environmental organization. Terry A. Simmons incorporated the Sierra Club BC in 1969, affiliating the local organization with the Sierra Club of the United States. Several members of the club were prominen ...

has been active in Canada since 1963 and a national office was established in Ottawa in 1989. There are active chapters in every region of Canada, with offices in Ottawa, Victoria, Sydney, Corner Brook, Halifax, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto. The Sierra Club contends that despite over 50-years of development and government support in Canada, nuclear power continues to be plagued by cost overruns, technical problems, accidents and the ongoing difficulty of how to manage high-level nuclear waste.Towards a Nuclear-Free Canada
/ref>

References

External links

Canada's Nuclear Watchdog Says Minister Meddling, Globe ReportsAnti-nuclear activists begin battle for minds of Albertans
* ttp://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/business/story.html?id=de5eb027-af65-4f3f-b9b0-bd7eb0f2b622 Retired professor warns against pursuing nuclear powerbr>Nuclear protest convoy dumps on Alberta reactor
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20090206215529/http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1315080 Anti-nuclear groups take their message to legislaturebr>Saskatchewan NDP fights nuclear power"Where is my Electricity Coming From at this Hour? (if I lived in Ontario)" (Canadian Nuclear Society, with data from IESO)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anti-Nuclear Movement In Canada

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