When the people who build our infrastructure and the people who power our province come together, the conversation is about far more than construction.
It is about building Ontario’s future.
That was the significance of LiUNA International vice-president and Canadian director Joe Mancinelli welcoming Nicolle Butcher, president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation (OPG), to address more than 1,500 leaders from across Canada and the United States at the 2026 LiUNA Multi-Regional Conference in Chicago. Her presence reflected a reality that has never been clearer: meeting Ontario’s biggest economic challenges will require genuine partnership between labour, industry and government.
Ontario stands at a defining moment.
Our population is growing rapidly. Manufacturing is returning. Artificial intelligence, data centres, electrification and critical minerals are reshaping our economy. Every one of these opportunities depends on one essential foundation: reliable, affordable and increasingly clean electricity.
That is why Ontario’s investment in nuclear energy is far more than energy policy.
It is an economic strategy. It is an investment in energy security. And increasingly, it is an investment in Canada’s long-term competitiveness and sovereignty.
In a world defined by geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruption and rising global demand for electricity, jurisdictions with abundant, dependable power will attract investment while others struggle to keep pace. Ontario is uniquely positioned to lead because we have chosen to invest in the infrastructure that powers economic growth rather than react once demand has already arrived.
OPG’s leadership in refurbishing existing nuclear facilities, advancing the G7’s first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor at Darlington and planning the next generation of clean electricity will help ensure Ontario remains competitive for decades to come. These projects create thousands of highly skilled jobs while providing the dependable baseload power modern economies require.
But these projects do not build themselves.
Behind every reactor refurbishment, transmission expansion, hydroelectric upgrade and new generation project are skilled union workers who transform ambitious plans into reality.
In 2025 alone, LiUNA members contributed more than 800,000 hours on OPG nuclear projects, demonstrating both the strength of this partnership and the critical role skilled union labour plays in delivering Ontario’s energy future. At Darlington, refurbishment was completed four months ahead of schedule and $150 million under budget while LiUNA members delivered more than 275,000 hours of highly skilled work.
The next chapter will require even more. The Pickering refurbishment is expected to generate approximately 150,000 LiUNA hours annually. The Darlington New Nuclear Project will require approximately 300,000 hours annually during peak construction. The proposed Wesleyville project could create as many as 800,000 LiUNA hours each year, while new hydroelectric generation will add another 200,000 hours annually beginning in 2028.
Those numbers represent far more than labour hours.
They represent apprentices entering the trades. Families building better futures. Local businesses growing alongside major projects. Communities strengthened by long-term investment. They represent the skilled workforce that will build the infrastructure Ontario depends upon for generations.
The relationship between LiUNA and OPG demonstrates what becomes possible when organizations share a common purpose.
OPG recognizes that delivering once-in-a-generation infrastructure requires a highly trained, stable and skilled workforce. LiUNA understands that world-class infrastructure depends on long-term planning, innovation and investment.
Together, those priorities create opportunities not only for workers but for the entire province. As OPG emphasized during its presentation, this partnership is about preparing tomorrow’s workforce, strengthening the case for energy infrastructure and creating a lasting legacy through reliable power, good jobs and economic growth.
Its impact extends well beyond construction.
It strengthens domestic supply chains, expands apprenticeship opportunities, supports advanced manufacturing and reinforces Ontario’s position as a global leader in clean energy. Most importantly, it gives Canada something increasingly valuable: the ability to generate the reliable electricity needed to power our own future.
As jurisdictions around the world compete for investment, companies are asking two fundamental questions: Can you provide reliable power? And can you provide the skilled workforce to build and maintain the infrastructure we need?
Ontario can increasingly answer both with confidence.
That confidence comes from partnership. It comes from governments willing to invest, industry willing to innovate and skilled union workers prepared to deliver.
The infrastructure we build today will power hospitals, homes, factories, transit systems, mines, data centres and entire industries for generations. It will strengthen our economy, create middle-class careers and reinforce Canada’s energy security at a time when it has never mattered more.
Building Ontario’s future isn’t simply about generating more electricity.
It is about generating opportunity. It is about creating millions of hours of meaningful work over the coming decades, training the next generation of skilled tradespeople, and demonstrating that when industry, government and skilled union labour move in the same direction, Ontario doesn’t just respond to the future, it defines it.
Victoria Mancinelli is director of government, public and community relations with LiUNA. Send Industry Perspectives Op-Ed comments and column ideas to [email protected].
