Nuclear and uranium work in Ontario and Saskatchewan: projects, clearance and pay

Site operators and licence holders

Ontario Power Generation holds the Darlington New Nuclear licence. Bruce Power operates Bruce A and B. Cameco operates Cigar Lake in Saskatchewan.

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Where Ontario’s nuclear projects stand

Uranium mines and mills

These operating uranium mines and mills are all in northern Saskatchewan:

• Cigar Lake Mine

• Key Lake Mill

• McArthur River Mine

• McClean Lake Mine and Mill

• Rabbit Lake Mine and Mill

Wheeler River Mine and Mill and Rook I are in the site preparation and construction phase, also in northern Saskatchewan.

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Camp at Cigar Lake

• The Cigar Lake Mine site includes a worker camp. The site is about 660 km north of Saskatoon.[6]

Typical trades

Uranium mines and mills

A uranium mine or mill usually needs the following trades:

• Heavy duty equipment technicians.

• Millwrights.

• Industrial and construction electricians.

• Steamfitters and pipefitters.

• Welders.

• Instrumentation and control technicians.

• Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.

• Excavator operators.

Both lists show typical trades for the work, not jobs posted at any one site.

Security clearance at nuclear plants

To enter a protected area at a nuclear plant without an escort, you need a site access security clearance.

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission guidance says the site’s licence holder should check your personal history. This covers the past five years, including where you lived. If you are under 21, the check goes back to age 16. The licence holder should also run a criminal records name check.

A credit check may be required, depending on:

• Your position.

• Your access to money or financial information.

• Your signing authority.

A credit check may also be done for a specific reason (“for cause”). Examples include a personal bankruptcy or a related conviction.

To enter a protected area, you also need physical proof that the licence holder has authorized you. That authorization can last up to five years.

A high-security site is a nuclear power plant. It is also any nuclear facility that processes, uses or stores Category I or II nuclear material.

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Tickets in Ontario and Saskatchewan

Ontario has 23 compulsory trades, such as electrician and steamfitter. To work in one, you need one of these valid documents:

• Certificate of Qualification

• Provisional Certificate of Qualification

• Registered Training Agreement

If a listed exemption applies to you, you do not need these documents.

Saskatchewan has five compulsory apprenticeship trades:

• Construction Electrician

• Plumber

• Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic

• Sheet Metal Worker

• Sprinkler Fitter

To do the work in one, you must be a registered apprentice or a certified journeyperson. If you are not certified, you must register within six months (900 hours) of starting work in the trade.

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Pay in Ontario and Saskatchewan

Hourly · Data from 2023 to 2024 · Dated November 19, 2025

Uranium sites: camp, operators and licences

• The Cigar Lake Mine site includes a worker camp. The site is about 660 km north of Saskatoon.[6]

• Cameco owns and is licensed to operate the Cigar Lake Mine, the world’s second largest high-grade uranium deposit. The licence was issued July 1, 2021 and expires June 30, 2031.[6]

• Cameco owns and is licensed to operate the McArthur River Operation. The licence was issued November 1, 2023 and expires October 31, 2043.[14]

• The Port Hope Conversion Facility in Port Hope, Ontario is operating. The facility processes uranium trioxide into uranium dioxide and uranium hexafluoride, and its licence expires February 28, 2027.[15]

• The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission licenses every uranium mine and mill in Canada, and requires controls that remove radon to limit exposure to workers.[4]

Refurbishment and reactor approvals

At the Bruce A and B stations, Unit 4 is shut down for refurbishment, also called Major Component Replacement. Units 5, 7 and 8 are operating, with refurbishment still ahead. CNSC’s Darlington facility page lists all four units as refurbished and operating. Its refurbishment update describes Unit 4 as still returning to service. The two reports disagree on Unit 4’s status.

A refurbished reactor needs Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission approval at four stages before it runs at full power. These stages are called regulatory hold points. They include loading fuel and passing 1% and 35% of full power. Bruce A Unit 3 cleared its fourth hold point on June 2, 2026. OPG’s 20-year operating licence for Darlington runs to November 30, 2045.

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Whose land the Ontario sites are on

• The Darlington site lies within the traditional lands and waters of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg. The site is under the Gunshot Treaty, the Williams Treaties and the Williams Treaties Settlement Agreement.[3]

• The Bruce A and B stations are within Saukiing Anishnaabekiing, the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. The stations are also on traditional harvesting territories of the Métis Nation of Ontario Region 7 and the Historic Saugeen Métis peoples.[5]

• Seven Williams Treaties First Nations could eventually own a significant minority interest in the Darlington New Nuclear Project. The Department of Finance Canada announced a loan guarantee to make this possible.[2]

Related pages

• Trades jobs
• Darlington New Nuclear: trades, pay and site clearance
• Major projects in Canada for trades workers
• How to get hired on a major project in Canada
• How Werko checks facts