NII conference brings region together for cross-sector dialogue

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Nearly 200 attendees gathered in Saugeen Shores for two days of keynotes, workshops and awards focused on Canada’s clean energy future

Conference audience listening to Jessica Linthorne on stage. Text reads: It starts here. And it starts together. 2026 Clean Energy Frontier Conference

Last week, the Bruce, Grey and Huron region once again served as the meeting point for Canada’s clean energy conversation, as the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII) hosted its annual Clean Energy Frontier Conference on October 8 and 9, 2026 at the Unifor Family Education Centre in Saugeen Shores.

Built around the theme “It starts here,” the two-day event brought together industry professionals, community leaders, educators and partners for interactive workshops, keynote addresses, an evening awards reception and a full day of conference programming.

“As we heard from all our speakers in many different ways, it truly does start here—in this province, this region, and at events like the Clean Energy Frontier Conference,” said Jessica Linthorne, NII President and CEO.

Day One opened with a keynote from Dan Riskin, biologist, science journalist, author and television host, on the power of scientific thinking to solve real-world problems. The keynote was followed by two rounds of workshops covering investment attraction, provincial advocacy, municipal resilience and workforce pathways.

Sponsored by Teeswater Concrete, that night’s evening reception included presentation of the third-annual Clean Energy Frontier Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the local economy and clean energy sector.

Day Two brought a full day of sessions on Canada’s economic and policy outlook, the state of nuclear refurbishment and power generation, national energy coordination, sector transformation, community readiness and safety training, featuring keynote speakers Robert Lavigne, Executive Vice President, Economic Research at OMERS, and Eric Chassard, President & CEO at Bruce Power.

“As an industry, we need to remain laser focused on safety, high quality and cost reduction,” said Chassard. “Relentlessly investing in our workforce combined with disruptive innovations and avoiding complacency will secure a bright future for our communities.”

“This year we welcomed upwards of 200 nuclear industry professionals, elected officials, community leaders, academic and service partners, vendors and entrepreneurs,” said Linthorne. “That growth over 2025 tells us these conversations matter to more and more people every year. We're grateful to all our sponsors for helping us bring this key event to life, and to everyone who took the time to join us.”

Eric Chassard, President & CEO at Bruce Power, speaks on Bruce Power’s operations and 2027 outlook.
The Honourable Matt Rae, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries
Jessica Linthorne, NII President and CEO, speaks on the impacts of the Clean Energy Frontier region.
Workshop speaker Arveen Mann from Invest Ontario shares information on investment attraction.
Conference guests take part in an interactive workshop focused on youth careers in the region.

With Bruce Power as this year’s title sponsor, Founding sponsors include BWXT, Cameco, Candu Energy, E.S. Fox, Kinectrics, Power Workers' Union and the Town of Saugeen Shores.

Thank you to Teeswater Concrete, sponsor of the evening reception, as well as Partner-level sponsors Accenture, Aecon, ATS Industrial Automation, Framatome, Neoen, Provincial Building & Construction Trades Council of Ontario, Sargent & Lundy, Scotiabank, Society of United Professionals, TC Energy Ontario Pumped Storage and Westinghouse; and Collaborator-level sponsors Electricity Human Resources Canada, ERTH, Ironworkers Local 736, Mills Construction Products, Northern Transformers, NPX Innovation, The Paisley Inn, Tetra Tech, UBC Local 2222 and Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus.

**For the full photo gallery of event photos, please visit: nii.ca/clean-energy-frontier-conference.