​Ontario backs $250-million expansion of local medical isotope partnership

The Province of Ontario has guaranteed a $250-million investment to expand the Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin medical isotope partnership between Bruce Power and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON).

A number of officials from the province, Bruce County, local municipalities, Bruce Power, and SON gathered at the Bruce Power Training Centre in Kincardine, Friday morning, to witness this historic event.

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, minister of rural affairs, got to the heart of the matter, noting that this investment proves that small-town, rural Ontario with all its local leadership can make a huge difference in the world.

The Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin partnership delivers cancer-fighting medical isotopes and creates lasting economic benefits for the Chippewas of Saugeen and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nations. The financing that supports this investment is backed by the Indigenous Opportunities Financing Program.

"As part of our plan to protect Ontario, our government is proud to support a partnership that strengthens Indigenous participation in Ontario’s economy and expands access to life-saving medical treatments for people here at home and around the world,” said Ontario finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. “The partnership between SON and Bruce Power will reinforce Ontario’s strategic position in medical isotope production.”

“Ontario has a plan to double medical isotope production by 2030, advancing life-saving treatment for thousands of Canadians through a powerful partnership with SON, Bruce Power, and Ontario," said energy minister Stephen Lecce. "With ongoing pressure from United States tariffs, our government is fortifying our economy by building this homegrown sector using Canadian CANDU technology to save lives, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of First Nations. This is Ontario’s nuclear advantage at work.”

In addition, SON and Bruce Power have entered into a separate revenue-sharing agreement, which provides $10-million annually in direct community payments, shared equally between Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.

“This agreement represents a transformative opportunity for our people,” said chief Conrad Ritchie of the Saugeen First Nation. “It ensures stable, predictable revenues for generations while strengthening our role in the global medical isotope market.”

“Economic reconciliation with Bruce Power and Ontario is important to us and this partnership is a great step along that path," said acting chief Jessica Keeshig Martin of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. "Together, we are supporting the production of critical life-saving treatments."

"This partnership is about more than producing isotopes - it’s about fighting cancer and creating long-term prosperity,” said James Scongack, Bruce Power’s chief operating officer and executive vice-president. “It is a powerful example of reconciliation in action. Together, we’re building a future where Indigenous communities share directly in the benefits of clean energy and medical innovation - delivering both health and prosperity for generations.”

The landmark agreement - the largest investment support for a single Indigenous Nation in Canada - expands a successful isotope collaboration through the creation of the Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin Limited Partnership. Building on, and replacing, the original 2019 agreement, this new arrangement strengthens Bruce Power’s commitment to economic reconciliation, ensuring SON benefits from operations in its territory for decades to come, while advancing the global fight against cancer.

The expanded agreement now includes the production of Cobalt-60, which is used for both the sterilization of medical equipment and cancer treatment, as well as Lutetium-177. Bruce Power has a long-standing partnership to supply Cobalt-60 to Ottawa-based Nordion, a leading provider of Cobalt-60 worldwide.

TD Securities Inc. acted as financial advisor and sole bookrunner on the financing for the SON’s investment in the partnership.

To learn more about the partnership, visit: www.fightingcancertogether.ca.