Site Entrance Building (Minwamon Building)
Opened in 2020 and serves as a key role in campus-wide logistics, warehousing services and manages all items and vehicles entering or exiting the Chalk River Laboratories site.

Support Facility

Opened in 2021 and is used for maintenance and manufacturing activities.

Science Collaboration Centre

Opened in 2023 and is an open and inviting space that enables collaboration with international and academic partners from all over the world that work to foster nuclear science innovation and research. At six storeys tall, it also serves as a welcoming event space for conferences and seminars.

The mass timber structures at the Minwamon Building, Support Facility and Science Collaboration Centre are the first modern mass timber buildings constructed on a federal site, and construction of the Support Facility and Science Collaboration Centre was supported through a grant from the Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) Program. This program is administered by Natural Resources Canada to increase the use of wood in infrastructure projects as a sustainable construction material and supports Canada’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

In the three new buildings, mass timber has allowed CNL to sequester nearly 2,500 tonnes of CO2 and avoid nearly 1,000 tonnes of CO2 since 2015.

The three non-nuclear new builds which use 3,750 m3 of structure in mass timber means:

4,125 tonnes of CO2e embodied and avoided

Approximately 800 cars off of Canadian roads for one year

Energy for approximately 400 homes in Canada for one year

Canadian forests regrow this timber in 10 minutes

Hydrogen Laboratories

CNL is accelerating the transition to a hydrogen economy with advanced hydrogen production and energy storage technologies. Our strategic partnerships with industry, academic institutions, national and global organizations demonstrate our commitment to innovation and exemplary quality assurance.

Areas of expertise include:

• Heavy water production and management
• Hydrogen production technologies
• Hydrogen safety technologies
• Energy storage technologies

Actinium Laboratories

Scientists at CNL are working hard on the development of advanced life-saving treatments that harness the power of nuclear science and radioisotopes to achieve unprecedented levels of precision in beating cancer. This work includes the production of a promising new weapon in the fight against cancer – Actinium-225 – a radioisotope so rare that the annual global production is less than a grain of sand.

Reactor Fleet Sustainability Laboratories

For decades, CNL has been standing ready to sustain reliable and affordable nuclear reactors. We support utilities, their suppliers, and industry research organization by providing extensive research through:

• Operations and maintenance practices that improve reactor operations and respond to emergent issues
• Life extension initiatives that enable long-term operations
• Innovation that develops technologies to support reactor modernization and efficiencies

Environment Laboratories

Through Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s (AECL) Federal Nuclear Science and Technology (FNST) Work Plan, CNL undertakes research activities to support environmental stewardship and responsible nuclear waste management.

Overarching federal priorities and goals to which CNL applies its science capabilities include:

• Support Canada’s national and international leadership to improve the understanding and reduce environmental impact of nuclear energy.
• Enhance Canada’s environmental stewardship by ensuring that nuclear energy is developed within a robust framework that addresses environmental and waste management concerns.
• Support implementation of the Pan-Canadian Framework and achieve Canada’s international greenhouse gas reduction targets by identifying the environmental impacts of nuclear energy production that could be reduced.
• Develop and demonstrate innovative technologies to reduce environmental impacts, increase competitiveness, and promote the use of clean technology including in Canada’s natural resource sectors.
• Providing science and technology to support the understanding of the effects of radiation on the environment.
• Improving the understanding of the migration of radioisotopes in the environment (terrestrial and aquatic), and their potential impacts on human health and non-human biota.
• Enhancing prediction methods of radionuclide concentrations in the environment during the recovery phase following an unplanned radioactive release.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• Bring government-issued photo ID (Passport, driver’s licence, health card, etc.).
• Wear flat-soled safety shoes or safety boots, socks, long pants, and high visibility vests.
• Dress appropriately for the weather as time will be spent walking outside.
• Photo and video taking is restricted. Please inquire before any photos and videos are taken.
• Advise of severe allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical conditions / devices.
• Once your registration is completed you will recieve a Security form via email for CNL. This must be completed by January 30th to be able to attend the tour.

TRANSPORTATION:

• All participants are to meet at Andaz Hotel (325 Dalhousie Street Ottawa ON K1N7G1).
• We request that all participants are at the pick-up location no later than 7:15 am for a 7:30 am departure.