Tracy Primeau
Member, Board of Directors, OPG & WiN Canada, and Founder & Principal, Agile Bear Consulting
Mediaplanet spoke with Tracy Primeau, Board Member at Ontario Power Generation and Women in Nuclear Canada, to discuss the progress in Indigenous inclusion, the role of Indigenous knowledge in nuclear projects, and how these efforts are helping Canada meet its sustainability goals.
What progress have you seen in the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in the nuclear industry over the past year?
I’ve been in the industry for 34 years and I’ve never been asked more for my insight on Indigenous perspectives in the nuclear industry from mining to waste, beginning to end. The nuclear industry in many ways is leading in this area with early consultation and serious discussions around partnerships, procurement and employment. Are we getting it right all the time? Absolutely not but the industry is asking questions, having conversations and building relationships at a rate never seen before and it’s not just because it’s the right thing to do, it’s because they finally understand this involvement and input will increase their bottom line.
What role does Indigenous knowledge play in enhancing the sustainability and safety of nuclear projects?
I think there’s a need for Western science and Indigenous knowledge to come together in order to make the best decisions for the environment.
For example, many traditional trappers and hunters can predict weather patterns just based on how the animals are behaving. That traditional knowledge combined with Western science can help us tackle national and global challenges.
On top of that, there are a lot of courses that bring these two ways of knowing together that are taught by Indigenous knowledge keepers, who should be given the same recognition as, for example, a professor of geology. Recognizing knowledge keepers as experts in their field gives more credibility to companies, corporations, and governments that are working with both traditionally trained and non-traditionally trained folks.
There’s also this sense of simplicity that we’d benefit from embracing. The International Indigenous Speakers Bureau’s president once told me a story about an elder who was talking to a hydroelectric company that was having trouble figuring out how to divert water in one part of a river. The elder said, “Let me have a look.” Within three weeks, the water was diverted. The company asked the elder what he did, and he said, “I just picked up a couple of beavers, threw them in that river, and they built a dam.” I love that story because it shows how we overthink, over-engineer, and overdo things.
How is the nuclear industry promoting inclusivity and diversity within its workforce, particularly in leadership roles?
We need to see people who look like us so that we feel valued when we enter the industry. And if we aren’t getting diversity right at the highest levels, then how are we possibly going to get it right in the rest of the company? We need representation at all levels. And really, it starts with the top. The leaders set the tone for the entire organization.
Diversity increases innovation, problem-solving, and morale. It helps organizations attract top talent and creates high levels of staff engagement and satisfaction. It’s also just the right thing to do for society as a whole.
Our industry is finally looking at the top and the control room to make these changes starting with the board and the executive leadership team and then digging into where we get our leaders from? If it is the control room, how do we get more women there? And does it have to be that path? Not necessarily. Having diversity in our industry which for many years has been heavily male dominated is finally being seen as the key to innovation, growth and success.
What role does Nuclear have in helping Canada achieve its Net Zero goals?
There is no path to NetZero without nuclear and that path goes through someone’s traditional territory. The IESO states electricity demand could more than double by 2050 and that means we need all forms of clean energy; nuclear and renewables. I’m proud to be a part of an organization that is leading in both of these areas and thrilled to be supporting other organizations on that same path. And nuclear is now able to support in so many different ways, SMRs, large nuclear and microreactors all have a place in our landscape and I’m proud to say Canada is leading in all 3 of these areas as well as in uranium mining and nuclear waste management.
How can partnerships with Indigenous communities enhance the development and deployment of SMRs in Canada?
SMRs will make nuclear power more accessible to all kinds of different communities, enabling us to power remote communities that are currently powered by diesel.
Unlike diesel generators, SMRs generate excess steam, which can be used to heat buildings, schools, and hospitals, or to grow fresh plants and vegetables in a greenhouse. This improves sustainability on multiple levels.
We’ll need to do a lot more mining if we’re going to electrify the grid, and we’re going to need more uranium in order to power up all these SMRs and large nuclear. Many other processes are going to be positively affected by SMRs’ use.
Canadian SMR companies are also looking for partnerships with Indigenous communities, which is a great opportunity for economic reconciliation and for Indigenous communities to get in on the ground floor with these new builds and be equity partners.
