Provincial Building and Construction Trades of Ontario and CNIC to work together to help further educate Canadian nuclear workers on the vital impact of Canada’s isotope legacy.
The Provincial Building trades, an organization that represents 12 craft unions in the construction sector totaling 150,000 workers throughout the province, is pleased to announce that it has joined a growing list of Canadian organizations that are members of the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC).
The CNIC is an independent body of representatives from the Canadian health sector, nuclear industry, and leading research groups convened specifically to promote Canada’s role in the production of the world’s supply of radioisotopes. Together, the organizations hope to help further educate Canadians across all sectors of the economy on the vital impact of Canada’s isotope legacy.
“The world’s supply of research reactor-based isotopes is being challenged as many facilities are reaching their end of life at a time when their importance and value to the health care community is reaching new levels through research and innovation in this space,” said Patrick Dillon, Business Manager of the Provincial Building Trades. “It’s important that the members we represent understand the importance of the work they do every day in contributing to ensuring a reliable supply of isotopes made right here in Canada. Reliability and affordability of radioisotope supply will be critical to patients who depend on their treatments being available.”
“Retaining a secure supply of isotopes and infrastructure in Canada will allow us to maintain a leadership position in the development of new nuclear medicine technologies. Simply put, we need to continue investing in our isotope industry,” said James Scongack, Chair of the CNIC. “Canadian researchers and radioisotope producers are working together to deliver innovative new therapies to clinics, and Canada’s supply of these critical isotopes is important to new clinical trials and to increasing approved therapies.
“Scientists here at home are working to create a domestic supply of the important radiotherapeutics isotopes so this raw material can be converted into medical-grade radiopharmaceuticals.”
For more than 60 years, Canada has been a global leader in the research, development and production of medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals.
As the world’s leader in the production of radioisotopes, Canadian nuclear innovations have been used to aid scientific and technological advances in gamma sterilization for medical devices, securing global food supply, industrial smoke alarms, oil-drilling research, and, of course, medical diagnostics and imaging. While radioisotopes have been used for detection and diagnosis, they are now also being utilized to develop more sophisticated medical therapies and treatments.
Throughout 2019 the CNIC will remain focused on ensuring that Canada continues to be a world leader in the production of life-saving isotopes by bringing awareness and supporting long-term policies at the
domestic and international levels that will save countless lives and support health care innovation for decades to come.
About the Provincial Building and Construction Trades of Ontario
The Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario is an organization that represents 12 craft unions in the construction sector totaling 150,000 workers throughout the province. The Council’s mission is to give construction workers a collective voice in the workplace, to help ensure that workers are well trained to meet industry needs, and to promote healthy and safe work conditions with decent wages, pensions and benefits. Part of the Council’s success stems from the effective partnerships it has established with signatory contractors and owner-clients who work with Council affiliates to achieve public and private infrastructure needs in Ontario’s seven construction bargaining sectors.
For more information, please contact:
Patrick Dillon,
Business Manager
Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario
416.347.8245
patrick@ontariobuildingtrades.com