Back To Top
July 22, 2022

Public invited to the Chalk River Laboratories for 2022 Open House

To celebrate the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories and other milestones, CNL and AECL will offer the public a unique opportunity to visit the campus on Saturday, August 6, 2022

Chalk River, ON – May 17, 2022 – Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) are throwing a party at the Chalk River Laboratories, and everyone is invited! To celebrate the continued revitalization of the site, AECL’s 70th Anniversary, and all the great accomplishments being made by their respective teams, the organizations will team up to host the 2022 Open House on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at the Chalk River Laboratories campus.

Last held five years ago, the previous Chalk River Laboratories open house drew over 2,000 visitors from across North America, eager to see Canada’s largest science institution, and one of the world’s preeminent nuclear facilities. The 2022 Open House will once again offer the public a unique opportunity to visit the site for a day filled with interactive fun for kids and adults alike, including scientific demonstrations, laboratory tours, booths and displays, mega-machines, hands-on experiments, a variety of food vendors, presentations and much more.

“Given all the exciting changes that are taking place at the Chalk River Laboratories, we felt that the time was right to open our doors to the public so they can see the transformation unfolding in-person,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s President and CEO. “But we also want to give families a fun and interactive experience that showcases all of the work that we do here, whether it is conducting an experiment, protecting wildlife or driving a fire truck. Overall, I think it will be a really fun day for anyone who is curious about what happens at the end of Plant Road in Chalk River.”

“The Chalk River Laboratories serve as our nation’s nuclear laboratory, and for seven decades has provided science-based solutions to many of Canada’s biggest challenges,” said Fred Dermarkar, AECL’s President and CEO. “We have much to be proud of and more work to do, including continuing collaboration with Indigenous nations to steward and care for site and surrounding lands together.”

A lot has changed since the Chalk River Laboratories held its last Open House in 2017. Since then, CNL has completed construction of the Minwamon Building, a new site entrance, and a new support facility, broken ground on a new Science Collaboration Centre, and safely completed the demolition and decommissioning of over 100 buildings. On the horizon is construction of the Advanced Nuclear Materials Research Centre (ANMRC), which is scheduled to begin later this year. Once complete, the ANMRC will be one of the largest nuclear research facilities ever constructed in Canada, and will serve as the backbone of CNL’s research and development infrastructure.

In addition to the changing skyline at the campus, AECL and CNL also hope that the event will give the public some exposure to the work that is carried out on behalf of Canadians. As Canada’s national nuclear laboratories, work conducted at the campus fulfills three key missions on behalf of the Government of Canada: restoring and protecting the environment, developing clean energy technologies for today and tomorrow, and contributing to the health of Canadians.

“When it comes to the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories, people understandably think about the laboratories and research facilities,” commented Dr. Jeff Griffin, CNL’s Vice-President of Science and Technology. “But this transformation extends to our science programs as well. We are pursuing ambitious and exciting work to develop new cancer treatments and to help design and test the next-generation of nuclear power reactors. We want to share our work with the local community and other stakeholders, and the Open House is a great way to do that.”

Registration is mandatory to attend the 2022 Chalk River Laboratories Open House. To learn more about the event, and to register for your free tickets, please visit www.cnl.ca/openhouse.

About CNL

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is a world leader in nuclear science and technology offering unique capabilities and solutions across a wide range of industries. Actively involved with industry-driven research and development in nuclear, transportation, clean technology, energy, defence, security and life sciences, we provide solutions to keep these sectors competitive internationally.

With ongoing investments in new facilities and a focused mandate, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories is well positioned for the future. A new performance standard reinforced with a strong safety culture underscores every activity.

For more information on the complete range of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories services, please visit www.cnl.ca or contact [email protected].

-30-
CNL Contact:
Patrick Quinn
Director, Corporate Communications
1-866-886-2325



Recent News