Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) announced that over 200 CNL employees were recognized for exceptional organizational accomplishments at the company’s 2022 Awards of Excellence ceremony, which was held at Festival Hall in Pembroke.
An annual program that recognizes employee excellence, the CNL Awards of Excellence were established to celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals and teams whose hard work, determination and accomplishments helped CNL deliver its science and technology programs and major projects.
As Canada’s national nuclear laboratory, CNL provides nuclear science and technology products and services to federal and commercial customers, works to safely address Canada’s nuclear liabilities, and is managing the revitalization of the Chalk River Laboratories campus. This year’s winners were recognized for accomplishments that include technical advances in clean energy technologies and health sciences, progress against major decommissioning and environmental remediation projects, accomplishments in organizational health and safety, and the completion of significant commercial milestones, to name just a few.
“CNL’s work is critically important to the future of this country, and it would not be possible without the hard work, innovation and commitment demonstrated by the employees that we are honouring here tonight,” commented Joe McBrearty, CNL’s president and CEO, during the ceremony. “These employees went beyond what is expected of them – finding solutions where others couldn’t, demonstrating unwavering integrity in their work, and helping to make our company a safer, more productive and more commercially successful organization.”
D.F. Torgerson Discovery Award
CNL’s Awards of Excellence are organized into two categories. The first, known as the D.F. Torgerson Discovery Award, is named after CNL’s former executive vice-president and chief technology officer, Dr. Dave Torgerson, and recognizes employees for the generation of new or innovative ideas and solutions, significant research or technical achievements, and new business initiatives. This year’s awards were presented to 12 employees from three groups for accomplishments that include:
- Research and technical excellence in advancing CNL’s Actinium-225 production program
- Development of a Hybrid Energy Optimization (HESO) tool
- Development of stand-off nuclear reactor monitoring with neutron detectors for safeguards and non-proliferation applications
Distinguished Merit Award
The Distinguished Merit Award is given to employees who have made exceptional contributions in productivity improvements, achievements of increased revenue, decreased operating costs, safety innovation or environmental initiatives, development or strengthening of new or existing partnerships, and the exploitation of these results. This year’s awards were presented to 205 employees from ten groups for accomplishments that include:
- Implementation of the 2020-2021 CNL Employee Crowdfunding Program
- Irradiation and oxidation testing and evaluation of fuels for next-generation advanced reactors and small modular reactors
- Supporting the Target Residue Material (TRM) Repatriation Project
- Demonstrating excellence in the conduct of CNL’s annual Electrical Site-Wide Shutdown
- Design of combined pressure tube and calandria tube removal tools
- Work on the Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) Environmental Impact Statement and licensing document submission
- Ongoing work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Execution of the Digital Workplace Remote Work Program
- Execution of refuelling the SLOWPOKE Reactor at Royal Military College (RMC)
- Work on the CANDU® Pressure Tube Sample Analysis
“On behalf of everyone at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, and the many customers who have benefited from the hard work, commitment and character demonstrated by these employees, I want to extend my thanks and congratulations to the 2022 CNL Awards of Excellence recipients,” added Mr. McBrearty.
Featured image: CNL employees recognized for excellence in nuclear research, commercial projects, environmental remediation and workplace safety at annual awards ceremony. (CNL)
