Darlington New Nuclear: trades, pay and site clearance

Finding work

Check Ontario Power Generation and the contractors named on this page, including Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners, for job postings.

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Ask the employer whether the job includes camp accommodation or a rotation.

Site access

You need a site access security clearance to enter a protected area at a high-security site without an escort. A nuclear power plant counts as a high-security site.

The regulator’s guidance says the licence holder should check:

• Your personal history for the past five years, including where you lived. If you are under 21, the check goes back to age 16.

• Your criminal record, through a name check.

You may need a credit check. This depends on your position, your access to financial information and funds, or your signing authority. A credit check may also be done for a specific reason, such as personal bankruptcy or a related criminal conviction.

You also need physical proof that the licence holder has authorized you to enter. That authorization can last up to five years.

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Trades typical for a nuclear build

• Steamfitter/Pipefitter

• Construction Electrician

• Industrial Electrician

• Ironworker (Reinforcing)

• Carpenter

• Concrete Finisher

• Welder

• Boilermaker

• Ironworker (Structural/Ornamental)

• Industrial Mechanic (Millwright)

• Instrumentation and Control Technician

• Insulator (Heat and Frost)

• Mobile Crane Operator

These trades are typical for this kind of project, not jobs posted at Darlington.

Hourly pay in Ontario

Hourly · Ontario · Dated November 19, 2025

Ontario ticket rules are on the nuclear and uranium page.

Where construction stands

The construction licence covers one BWRX-300 reactor. It runs until March 31, 2035.

The licence has three hold points. These are stages where the work must wait for approval. At each stage, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) staff check whether Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has met its commitments. The Commission must approve lifting the hold point. Someone it authorizes can give this approval instead. That work can continue only after approval.

The first hold point was lifted on March 30, 2026. Work on the reactor building foundation could then go ahead.

OPG has applied for a licence to operate the reactor. The Commission will decide after a public hearing, on a date to be announced.

The contractor AtkinsRéalis says the first unit should be complete by 2030.

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How many jobs it could create

• The Major Projects Office expects all four units to create 18,000 jobs per year during construction. During operation, the units should sustain 2,500 jobs per year.[2]

• The Department of Finance Canada expects the project to create and sustain about 3,700 jobs per year over 65 years. Peak construction could support up to 18,000 jobs per year.[10]

These yearly forecasts cover different periods of construction and operation. They are not current job openings.

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Who is building it

• Ontario Power Generation (OPG) owns the site and holds the licence. OPG is the company proposing the project.[1][2]

• Candu Energy Inc., an AtkinsRéalis company, won a $450 million contract from OPG for the first of four planned small modular reactor units. AtkinsRéalis has been the project’s architect-engineer since 2023.[4]

• AtkinsRéalis works alongside GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners.[4]

• OPG selected the GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor in December 2021.[1]

What has happened so far

• April 4, 2025:

  the nuclear regulator (CNSC) issued OPG a licence to construct 1 BWRX-300 reactor, valid until March 31, 2035.[9][1]

• September 11, 2025:

  the project was referred to the Major Projects Office.[2]

• March 25, 2026:

  OPG applied for a licence to operate 1 BWRX-300 reactor. The Commission will decide after a public hearing, with a date to be announced later.[1]

• March 30, 2026:

  the CNSC allowed construction of the reactor building foundation to go ahead.[3][1]

First Nations

The Darlington site is within the traditional lands and waters of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. The site falls under:

• The Gunshot Treaty.

• The Williams Treaties.

• The Williams Treaties Settlement Agreement.

Federal and Ontario loan guarantees support about $715 million in financing. This financing would allow seven Williams Treaties First Nations to eventually own a significant minority share of the project.

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Related pages

• Trades jobs
• Toronto trades jobs
• Electrician resume
• Millwright resume
• Nuclear and uranium work in Ontario and Saskatchewan: projects, clearance and pay
• Major projects in Canada for trades workers
• How to get hired on a major project in Canada
• How Werko checks facts