University of Regina receives $6.9M for Western Canada’s first nuclear technology centre

New federal and provincial funding worth a combined $6.9 million will allow Saskatchewan researchers to design and test nuclear technology at a University of Regina facility in the coming years.

During a Monday media event, funding partners announced their investment in the Small Modular Reactor Safety, Licensing, and Testing Centre (SMR-SLT Centre), which is to be located at the Innovation Saskatchewan Research and Technology Park facilities on the main U of R campus.

Once completed, the $8-million nuclear centre would be the first of its kind in Western Canada.

Researchers at the facility are expected to design, develop and license small modular reactor (SMR) technology while also training workers in a controlled environment.

“We can bring nuclear power west, but — and this part matters — none of it happens unless we get the first step right,” said Buckley Belanger, Liberal MP for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River.

“That means making sure that nuclear development only moves forward if it happens safely, responsibly and under strong regulation.”

SaskPower announced it would invest $4 million in the facility while Prairies Economic Development Canada put forward $1.9 million. Innovation Saskatchewan added $1 million along with an in-kind contribution for three years toward a lease for space at R+T Park.

Canada has been pushing ahead with nuclear projects in recent years, including the Darlington-based SMR in Ontario. Construction began in May 2025 and it’s slated to be operational by 2030 — touted as the first of its kind in the Group of Seven (G7) countries.

While some nuclear expertise is clustered in Ontario, Saskatchewan is hoping to change that with the newly announced centre.

The SMR-SLT Centre is to be owned and led by the U of R, but used jointly alongside the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Polytechnic under a new post-secondary partnership called Global Institute for Energy, Minerals and Society (GIEMS).

“A successful SMR strategy requires highly skilled, highly trained people,” said U of R president Jeff Keshen at Monday’s event. “Through this facility, our students, researchers (and) collaborators will gain hands-on experience with the same systems that are used in industry. This will help Saskatchewan train a nuclear-ready workforce.”

Jeremy Harrison, the minister responsible for SaskPower, says the new centre will lay groundwork for the province to build upon nuclear energy opportunities and help it achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

An SMR in the Estevan area is still in the planning stages and a few years behind Darlington. SaskPower expects it to break ground in 2029 and be operational in 2034, according to president and CEO Rupen Pandya.

The SMR-SLT Centre is to include two nuclear test loops which simulate the conditions of a reactor, according to U of R assistant professor Arthur Situm, the Canada research chair in SMR safety and licensing.

The component corrosion test loop will allow researchers to determine the longevity of materials in SMRs and potentially extend the life of reactors. It’s already being constructed and set to come online in early 2027.

The natural circulation flow loop, set to be ready in early 2028, will test cooling strategies and help improve technology on the Canadian-designed CANDU reactors, said Situm.

There are 12 operational CANDU reactors located in Canada, South Korea, Romania, China, India and Argentina, according to information from the Canadian Nuclear Association.

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