Going nuclear: The origins of New Brunswick's nuclear industry, 1950--1983

New Brunswick entered the nuclear age in 1974 when Canada was amidst a national energy crisis. When the federal government approved a CANDU nuclear reactor for Point Lepreau, New Brunswick became the third province to develop a nuclear program following Ontario and Quebec. The Point Lepreau project was a regional development initiative that was defined by intra-provincial politics. The New Brunswick Electric Power Commission had promoted nuclear energy as early as 1961 and pushed for a multi-unit nuclear reactor from 1971 to 1973. Premier Richard Hatfield personally involved himself in the project when he incorporated the nuclear development into his 1974 provincial re-election campaign and pressured the federal government for immediate approval despite the project's minimal socio-economic benefits. The Maritime Energy Coalition, an environmental protest movement, limited New Brunswick's nuclear development by changing the public's perception of nuclear energy with the aid of international advocacy groups.