Employee recognition program celebrates achievements in nuclear science and technology, commercial services, waste management and workplace safety at annual awards ceremony
Chalk River, ON – November 19, 2024 – Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology organization, is pleased to announce that over 100 CNL employees were recognized for their exceptional accomplishments at the company’s 2024 Awards of Excellence ceremony, which was held last week at Germania Hall in Pembroke. An annual program that recognizes employee excellence, the CNL Awards of Excellence were established to celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals and teams whose hard work, determination and accomplishments helped CNL deliver its science and technology programs and major projects.
As Canada’s national nuclear laboratory, CNL provides nuclear science and technology products and services to federal and commercial customers, works to safely address Canada’s nuclear liabilities, and is managing the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories campus. This year’s winners were recognized for accomplishments that include the development of new technologies and capabilities, key accomplishments in decommissioning and waste management, improvements in organization health and safety, progress in Indigenous engagement, and the completion of important commercial projects, among others.
“On behalf of everyone at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, I want to congratulate the 2024 CNL Awards of Excellence Winners, all of whom helped CNL to deliver on its mandate as Canada’s national nuclear laboratories,” commented Jack Craig, CNL’s President and CEO. “Thanks to this year’s recipients, CNL is a safer place to work, we have advanced innovative technologies in nuclear, health and environmental sciences, we have helped to address Canada’s nuclear legacy liabilities, and we’ve provided exceptional services to our customers. I could go on for much longer, but I simply want to express my gratitude to these employees for their hard work, and for helping to grow our reputation here in Canada and around the world.”
D.F. Torgerson Discovery Award
CNL’s Awards of Excellence are organized into two categories. The first, known as the D.F. Torgerson Discovery Award, is named after CNL’s former Executive Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Dave Torgerson, and recognizes employees for the generation of new or innovative ideas and solutions, significant research or technical achievements, and new business initiatives. This year’s awards were presented to over 40 employees from three groups for accomplishments that include:
- The development of a cyclotron target technology use for the production of an exciting new medical isotope, Actinium-225.
- The methodology to evaluate and plan the removal of the reactor calandria from a waste management area on the Chalk River Laboratories site.
- The small-specimen fabrication testing capability development for irradiated materials.
Distinguished Merit Award
The Distinguished Merit Award is given to employees who have made exceptional contributions in productivity improvements, achievements of increased revenue, decreased operating costs, safety innovation or environmental initiatives, development or strengthening of new or existing partnerships, and the exploitation of these results. This year’s awards were presented to over 60 employees from ten groups for accomplishments that include:
- The development of multi-physics multi-scaled coupled code suite for the modelling of small modular reactors.
- The revitalization of CNL’s Travelling Flux Detector System, which is used for neutron flux mapping in CANDU® nuclear power stations.
- The reduction of bioassay sampling with CNL’s Facilities Decommissioning organization.
- The computational fluid dynamics study and calculations to support decision-making for decommissioning strategies for nuclear facilities.
- The outstanding dedication in support of CNL’s first Good Laboratory Practice study.
- The implementation of a new safety standard for the management of perchlorate hazard.
- The development and commissioning of an internal pressure fatigue test rig.
- Installation of technology to support ongoing operation for a commercial customer.
- Indigenous engagement related to the Whiteshell Laboratories.
- The outstanding recovery of Fire Operations at the Whiteshell Laboratories site.
“These accomplishments help to ensure the safe and reliable production of nuclear energy here in Canada, bring hope to people who suffer from cancer and other diseases, and restore the health and well-being of our environment. For those reasons and many others, these CNL employees deserve this recognition, and I couldn’t be prouder to work alongside such a talented and committed group of colleagues,” added Mr. Craig.
For a full list of the 2024 CNL Awards of Excellence winners, including profiles and videos on the award-winning teams, please visit www.cnl.ca/awards. To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
About CNL
As Canada’s premier nuclear science and technology laboratory and working under the direction of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), CNL is a world leader in the development of innovative nuclear science and technology products and services. Guided by an ambitious corporate strategy known as Vision 2030, CNL fulfills three strategic priorities of national importance – restoring and protecting the environment, advancing clean energy technologies, and contributing to the health of Canadians.
By leveraging the assets owned by AECL, CNL also serves as the nexus between government, the nuclear industry, the broader private sector and the academic community. CNL works in collaboration with these sectors to advance innovative Canadian products and services towards real-world use, including carbon-free energy, cancer treatments and other therapies, non-proliferation technologies and waste management solutions.
To learn more about CNL, please visit www.cnl.ca.
-30-
CNL Contact:
Philip Kompass
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325
media@cnl.ca
