The M&E Dispatch // 105

Carney’s Door-Opening Announcement

Author

Lee Tengum
September 12, 2025

Hello Everyone,

When Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his list of five nation-building projects, one stood out as a pivot point for Canada’s energy future: the small modular reactor (SMR) in Clarington, Ontario.

On its face, Clarington looks like just another power plant. In reality, it’s the first commercial deployment of a technology that could fundamentally reshape Canada’s ability to project power – not only onto the grid, but across the North.

The Clarington SMR is the test case. If it proves out, it opens the door to taking this technology far beyond Ontario, into the places that need it most.

Canada’s Power Problem

Canada is vast. BC’s hydro, Alberta’s coal and gas, Ontario’s nuclear fleet, they all produce staggering amounts of electricity, but they share one fatal flaw: reach.

None of them can supply power to the Arctic, the Hudson Bay, or Nunavut’s most remote communities. We are never going to string transmission lines across permafrost and tundra. That’s simply not feasible.

And yet, if we are serious about sovereignty, quality of life, and opportunity in the North, we need to power it.

Flying Power Into the North

Traditional nuclear plants are tied to specific geography, they require cooling capacity, massive footprints, and years of site prep. Modular nuclear turns that model upside down.

Built in factories, SMRs are shipped as modules, by barge, by truck, even by aircraft. A C-17 Globemaster can already deliver tanks and mining gear to remote runways. There’s no reason it couldn’t deliver modular nuclear components as well.

Piece by piece, assembled on-site, an SMR could transform a barren airstrip into a hub of power and permanence.

What SMRs Could Unlock

A Hudson Bay Shipping Hub
Picture an SMR sited on Hudson Bay, delivering shore power to vessels while lighting up surrounding towns. As Arctic sea routes open, Hudson Bay could evolve into a central shipping hub, powered not by diesel convoys but by a reactor flown in and assembled.

Amenity-Rich Northern Communities
Stable electricity means more than lights. It supports housing, schools, healthcare, recreation, and broadband. SMRs could help turn Canada’s remote towns into communities people actually want to live in, not just endure.

Clean Water at Scale
Boil water advisories still persist across the North. SMRs could power year-round water treatment and desalination plants, ensuring clean drinking water for every community, no matter how remote.

A Real Military Presence
Canada’s sovereignty isn’t secured by words, it’s secured by presence. Bases, radar, logistics hubs, all require reliable power. With SMRs, we could establish permanent, independent installations where they matter most.

Modular Matters!

The genius of SMRs lies in their scale. They’re not small enough to hide in a garage, but they are compact enough to fit into modular sections the size of shipping containers. You can transport them, assemble them quickly, and operate them safely with far less infrastructure than a traditional plant.

If we can fly tanks to Resolute Bay, we can fly in modular nuclear power.

For now, diesel convoys are the lifeline of the North. They are expensive, polluting, and fragile. They keep people alive, but they don’t let communities thrive.

Clarington’s SMR is more than a provincial power project. It’s proof that modular nuclear works. Once it’s online, the question won’t be if we can bring it to the North, it will be when.

The Bottom Line

Carney’s announcement in Clarington is Canada’s first step into a modular nuclear future. But the real prize isn’t in Southern Ontario, it’s in Hudson Bay, Nunavut, and the Arctic.

If Canada wants to secure its North, build real communities, deliver clean water, and anchor Arctic shipping, we can’t rely on wires strung from the south.

Small modular nuclear reactors give us reach. They can be flown in, assembled, and set to work powering the future, wherever we need it most.

The technology is here. The Clarington project is opening the door. The only question is whether Canada has the courage to walk through it.

// The Dirt

🔥 Top 3 Headlines to Watch

  1. 🔋 NEO Battery Secures $4.5M Purchase Order, Toronto-based silicon battery developer lands a multi-year supply deal with an Asian drone manufacturer.
    https://neobatterymaterials.com/neo-battery-secures-4-5-million-purchase-order-for-high-performance-silicon-battery-solutions-from-asian-drone-manufacturer

    curated_content_M&E

  2. ⛏ Kingfisher Metals Intersects 234m @ 1.0% CuEq, within 558m @ 0.64% CuEq at Williams porphyry, Golden Triangle (BC), confirming large-scale copper-gold system potential.
    https://kingfishermetals.com/kingfisher-metals-reports-234-meterssup1-sup-of-1-0-copper-equivalent-within-558-meters-of-0-64-cueqsup2-sup-at-hwy-37-project-golden-triangle-british-columbia

    curated_content_M&E

  3. 🪙 Northern Superior Expands Philibert Potential, historical drilling at Hazeur confirms 25.5m @ 1.10 g/t Au, extending mineralization 350m west of pit. New land acquisitions add 2,100 hectares in Chibougamau (QC).
    https://nsuperior.com/northern-superior-expands-philibert-mineralization-potential-with-1-10-g-t-au-over-25-5-metres-350-metres-west-of-current-pit-from-historical-drilling-at-hazeur-and-announces-further-land-acquisitio

    curated_content_M&E

Exploration & Development Highlights

Financings & Market Moves

Corporate & Policy

🌄 On the Horizon

  • Quebec Critical Metals Surge, Midland’s new Au-Zn-Ag discovery, Sirios’s road funding, and Northern Superior’s Hazeur expansion reinforce Quebec as Canada’s exploration hotbed.

  • Battery Supply Chain Validation, From Manganese X’s record battery cycle results to Northern Graphite’s financing and NEO’s $4.5M order, Canadian juniors are moving closer to integration with global EV supply chains.

  • Golden Triangle Copper-Gold Strength, Kingfisher’s 234m @ 1.0% CuEq confirms BC’s Golden Triangle remains a global-scale porphyry hunting ground.

// The Hustle

Game day! My son has the start, the game starts at 3pm and I’m excited to see him play in a game that was a long time coming. Proud of him.

Game on.

Have a great weekend all.
- Lee