August 24, 2006

Skilled Labour

Dillon downplays retirement

Labour needs will be met in energy projects

BRIAN BAKER

staff writer

TORONTO

A refurbishment project at the Pickering Nuclear Plant will provide jobs for many skilled trade workers if approved by the Federal Environmental Assessment and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Extensive construction is underway with Bruce A Units 1 and 2, as well as refurbishing four Bruce B reactors.

“About 2,000 people at Bruce now will probably finish up before the Pickering refurbishment gets started,” said Patrick Dillon, business manager of Ontario’s Provincial Building Trades.

Construction on the Bruce Plant is scheduled to finish by 2010.

“The Pickering announcement will not likely start before 2010. It depends on if they are refurbishing or if they are building something new, and I think the refurbishment is farther out,” Dillon said.

Dillon downplayed concern by the government about the number of skilled labourers retiring in Ontario.

“All of a sudden, retirement is the big problem. I’ve been around the business for 40 years, and there have been people retiring ever since I started the trade. Retirement isn’t a new phenomenon,” noted Dillon.

“I’m not one who has a lot of angst that Ontario can’t train the number of people we’re going to need in the trade.”

A Construction Centre Council released a report showing Ontario’s economic expansion will grow by two per cent a year for the next ten years.

“That gives you some idea what the building requirements are going to be, and I think we have the training capacity to meet that,” said Dillon.

The Pickering project is in still review before any investment decisions are made.

“All of a sudden, retirement is the big problem.”

Pat Dillon, OPBT

John Earl, spokesperson for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) told Daily Commercial News, “It’s much too early to even consider employment. The reason is that the Board of Directors still hasn’t determined whether or not to proceed with the Pickering B refurbishment.”

OPG initiated the refurbishment of the Pickering plant to continue operation beyond 2015.

“Assuming that a positive is met in the outcome to refurbish in Pickering, the whole issue around time table and how the refurbishment will proceed would be indicative of what employment opportunities would come,” said Earl.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has confirmed that a Federal Assessment is required before any construction is performed on the Pickering B Nuclear Generating Station.

Print | Email | Comment