There’s strength in numbers. That has never been more evident than during this COVID-19 as we’ve experienced in our communities the heartwarming and impactful deeds being done by people across all walks of life.
Bruce Power’s ability to procure and distribute 1.2 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) between late March and the end of April was made possible because of the support we received from our supply chain companies – many of which have established offices in communities around Bruce and Grey counties around the launch of our Life-Extension Program.
NPX Innovation and Abraflex are two suppliers which made on-the-fly changes to their respective businesses to produce PPE. Stevcon offered its warehouse in Owen Sound to assist in the packing, storage and distribution of PPE to health-care, long-term care and front-line workers. Three Sheets Brewing, located at The Wismer House in Port Elgin, took on the responsibility of bottling 50,000 litres of hand sanitizer for distribution to front-line workers and First Nations communities.
Community groups and organizations told our Community Relations team to redirect the funding they were to receive from Bruce Power in 2020 and use it to help others being affected by the pandemic. Local businesses have provided access to essential-needs products for care packages to be distributed among our communities.
Our employees have also had a vital role in helping protect people and keep them safe. They’ve done so in their daily work to allow us to continuing supplying Ontario with one-third of its electricity to keep the lights on in our homes, businesses and hospitals. They’ve done so by harvesting Cobalt-60 that is now being used in health-care facilities around the world for the sterilization of medical equipment. Here at home, of the $400,000-plus that Bruce Power has distributed to community food banks, $120,000 came from a GoFundMe campaign supported by past and present employees.
Ron Miller, a field operations instructor at our Bruce A generating station, spent his time at home using 3D printers to produce protective wear for front-line medical personnel. We’ve also seen the support that our workers have given to restaurants and other businesses in all of our communities.
Despite all of these efforts and initiatives, there’s still so much to do, not only in continuing to help in the fight against COVID-19 but to do what we can to make sure Ontario gets back on its feet when this health crisis ends. That’s the motivating factor for the decision last month to create, with the support of our supply chain partners and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Bruce Power Retooling and Economic Recovery Council. The Canadian nuclear industry accounts for 76,000 jobs and we believe that there’s a responsibility to leverage the expertise and resources used to produce clean, reliable electricity and medical isotopes to help get through this pandemic. Our Life-Extension Program is Canada’s largest privately funded infrastructure process, and that will be a major contributor to Ontario’s economy.
It’s our responsibility to exploit our strength in numbers – with innovation, engineering, technology, skilled trades and other areas of expertise – and make a difference.
If you have any questions, you can message me on Twitter at @jscongack or email james.scongack@brucepower.com
