Royal Military College chemical engineering students Amanda Bruni and Patrick McDonald, along with their instructor Lt. (n) Paul Busata (centre), showed a keen interest in the production process during a tour of the Port Hope conversion facility on May 11, 2006.

May 2006 — Twenty-nine students and two instructors from the chemical engineering program at Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston witnessed “chemistry in the workplace” first hand when they toured Cameco’s Port Hope conversion facility on Thursday, May 11. All of the students are in their third or fourth year of the chemical engineering program.

Upon their arrival at the site, the students received an overview presentation from Dr. Mike Murchie, manager of the Cameco technology development group and then taken on a tour of the two main production buildings.

After the tour, Patrick McDonald, a fourth year student from Calgary said, “We don’t get a lot of exposure to the nuclear industry so it was great to learn about how uranium is processed and then put into fuel bundles.” “It was also interesting to talk about where Canada is going with nuclear.”

Fellow fourth year student Amanda Bruni added, “it was great to see the practical side of what we learn in class”.

At the end of the tour, Lt. (n) Paul Busata, an instructor at RMC, stated: “We don’t actually get the chance to see industrial practices every day so this was extremely useful.”

The Port Hope conversion facility hosts a number of plant tours for students. In the past year, students from Bowmanville High School, Cobourg District Collegiate Institute East and Holy Cross Secondary School in Peterborough have visited Cameco to learn about working safely with uranium. Scientists from the technology development group have also provided chemistry demonstrations to Grade 5 students at Beatrice Strong School and Trinity College School in Port Hope, and Grade 8 students at St. Joseph’s Separate School in Cobourg.

The Cameco technology development group also provides a seminar on uranium to local high school teachers as part of their professional development activities. The annual seminar also includes a tour of the production buildings and the research laboratories.

Cameco is committed to working with youth in the communities in which it operates. It's goal is to help build the science and technology expertise in Northumberland County in order to support the recruitment and retention of young people from the community. At the same time, Cameco’s engineers and scientists benefit from the leadership development opportunities that come from working with youths.

Bob Steane, vice-president of Cameco’s fuel services division, which includes the Port Hope conversion facility, the Blind River refinery as well as Zircatec Precision Industries, calls the company’s commitment to working with students a good fit with Port Hope’s proposed Economic Development Strategic Plan. The plan calls for co-operation between businesses, schools and the community to help ensure that the members of future generations want to live and work in Port Hope.

“The future labour shortage in Ontario has been well documented and it will be acute for the nuclear industry,” said Steane. “Cameco wants to do its part to encourage our young people to consider the various career options available to them and how they can stay at home to work in those careers.”