How Ontario Power Generation is giving back

In these difficult times, Canadians are looking to give back. Some of the most inspiring stories have come from the most unexpected places, like businesses retooling their operations to provide critical supplies from food to masks and gloves. In this series, we spotlight some of the amazing ways the Canadian nuclear industry and supply chain has responded to the COVID-19 crisis and how the industry is giving back.

May 1, 2020

Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) employees across the province are working to ensure a reliable supply of power during the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, the company is proud to help Ontario’s front-line health-care heroes and community organizations mobilizing to support people with food vulnerabilities.

“OPG has a responsibility to not only keep the lights on for families, hospitals and essential businesses during this critical time, but also a social responsibility to do everything we can to help meet our communities’ most vital health care needs,” OPG President and CEO Ken Hartwick said in a statement in March. “Together we will power on.”

OPG has launched a Solutions Team mandated to collect, evaluate and quickly implement ideas to help ensure the safety for essential employees and to further support front-line health-care workers.

So far, these initiatives have been wide ranging, including donating masks, protective equipment and food.

OPG has donated one million surgical masks, 75,000 N95 masks and 17,500 Tyvek protective suits for distribution to hospitals and care facilities in need across the province.

The masks were part of OPG’s inventory of personal protective equipment for its workers as part of its emergency preparedness plans.

The masks were sent to the Ministry of Health for distribution to hospitals, long-term care homes and any other essential health-care providers in the most-needed areas of the province.

“I want to thank OPG for this extremely generous donation, which will support our ongoing and extensive efforts to secure the supplies and protective equipment,” said Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott.

Other OPG contributions include:

On March 30, OPG donated 17,500 Tyvek suits to the Province of Ontario for front-line health-care workers. These protective suits offer protection against a variety of hazards. OPG uses Tyvek suits when working in nuclear operations. However, the suits are also used by health-care professionals to protect against airborne diseases and other hazards.
OPG has secured Health Canada approval of its 3D-printed protective shield design and partnered with Ontario Tech University and other suppliers to ramp up production.
On April 4, OPG said it was teaming up with Feed Ontario with a $500,000 donation to launch an innovative COVID-19 emergency food box program. OPG estimates this donation will help ensure that 225,000 people have enough food to safely stay home longer.
OPG has provided $250,000 to the Regional Food Distribution Association of Northwestern Ontario to distribute emergency food support to First Nations.
On April 15, OPG announced it was joining forces with Feed the Need in Durham (FTND) with a $150,000 donation to provide COVID-19 emergency food support to residents in the Durham region.

You can find a comprehensive list of OPG’s COVID-19 activities here.

Tell us your story

If you are a CNA member supporting the COVID-19 crisis response, please contact the CNA so we can spotlight your efforts.