Saugeen First Nation Chief Lester Anoquot (seated, left) and Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck (seated, right) signed a cooperative agreement between SON and Bruce Power to jointly market Lutetium-177 isotope. Back row, from left, MPP of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and Associate Minister of Energy Bill Walker, Neyaashiinigmiing Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Chief Greg Nadjiwon, Strategic Initiatives Officer of Indigenous Services Canada Brandy Oliveira, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Operational Services James Scongack.
Hub Staff
Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) has become the newest partner in a recent alliance between Bruce Power and Kinetrics and Framatome Canada Ltd. The partnership was formed to produce a new medical isotope at the Bruce Nuclear site south of Port Elgin that will initially focus on prostate cancer treatment.
At a July 18 presentation at Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre, Bruce Power’s Director of Community and Indigenous Relations David Abbott welcomed everyone present to witness the collaboration between SON and Bruce Power. Abbot said it was an extraordinary day, of which he was honoured to be a part.
A video explained the value of isotopes in the medical world and reported Bruce Power as the largest supplier of medical isotopes. Bruce Power currently produces Cobalt-60, a radioactive isotope used in cancer diagnostics, cancer treatment and sterilization of medical equipment. Along with Kinetrics and Framatome, Bruce Power is now developing a new medical isotope, Lutetium-177, which can bind to a molecule that is said to attach to, and destroy, cancerous cells.
Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck identified the need for a reliable source of isotopes and spoke of a looming concern in the field of cancer research of not having enough isotopes to carry out life-saving procedures.
“With our partnership today, we’ll be able to advance our delivery systems and production of Lutetium-177 that will be used in prostate cancer treatments here in Canada, throughout North America and internationally around the world," said Rencheck.
He went on to say the Bruce Power reactors will secure the supply of Lutetium-177 to such an extent that this treatment could become the new standard in prostate cancer treatment.
“Today, if [prostate cancer] is caught in the later stages it can be very detrimental and hard to recover from. The promise of Lutetium-177 is that it offers a treatment for all stages," continued Rencheck. “Most men, if you live long enough, have a high probability of coming down with prostate cancer.”
Saugeen First Nation Chief Lester Anoquot called it exciting times. "I’m looking forward to this partnership," he said. “It certainly is a path forward that Bruce Power and Saugeen Ojibway Nation have never experienced up until now and the relationship keeps growing and getting more positive,” Anoquot added.
Neyaashiinigmiing Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Chief Greg Nadjiwon conceded the advances in medicine and noted that after he learned of the benefits of isotopes in regards to cancer research, he was very proud to be involved with the initiative and the partnership. “It’s not only going to be a national venture, it’s going to be international," he said. “Hopefully this initiative is just the start as we move forward with the relationship and the need for other isotopes are developed and warranted.”
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP and Associate Minister of Energy Bill Walker shared his extensive relationship with cancer involving the loss of his mother and sister, a sister and his son who both survived cancer and “a sister-in-law surviving breast cancer as we speak right now,” he said.
Walker credited the early work and banding of the Canadian Isotope Council as a major contributor to the success of the project thus far and commended Scongack as one of the founding members.
“This is another step in that partnership of us collectively working together for the betterment and the common good of all people," said Walker.
Abbott took a moment to confess to losing his own father to prostate cancer and how remarkable it is for him to be part of this development today. “I find myself today working for Bruce Power who are partnering with two First Nations on the production of an isotope that is targeting prostate cancer. I mean that is truly, truly amazing," he said.
James Scongack, Bruce Power Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Operational Services, gave a more detailed presentation on the ingenuity of Lutetium-177 production at the Bruce Power site and how it can support the global fight against cancer. He explained the necessity of redundancy at Bruce Power to ensure a reliable source of electricity at any given time, even through preventative maintenance at the plant and said Bruce Power is required to produce at least 25 percent of Ontario’s electricity to provide security to the province’s electricity supply to hospitals, schools and businesses. Scongack said when it comes to isotope production, the company has worked to devise a method of utilizing the redundancy to create these isotopes.
“Look at it as we’re leveraging an existing asset to build a really large redundant supply of isotopes," he said and illustrated the usage of Lutetium-177 as a non-invasive treatment given through an IV the same way many other medications are administered.
“Our goal long-term is, if we can successfully deploy this delivery system that we’re partnering with SON on to make Lutetium-177, who’s to say we can’t make other isotopes,” said Scongack.
“For over 50 years the world has counted on Canada and Canadians to provide isotopes. If it wasn’t for Canada, we would not have the cancer treatments that we have today around the world," he said. “If Canada does not step up and provide that leadership, there is not somebody else who has what we have here in Canada that will be able to do that," Scongack added.
The agreement, as described by Scongack, is a marketing agreement that will open up economic opportunities within the Saugeen Ojibway Nation by developing new isotope infrastructure.
With the design stages scheduled to wrap up in 2021, the current goal for the first production of Lutetium-177 is set for 2022.
As the Eagle Staff of each nation within SON framed the occasion, Neyaashiinigmiing Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Chief Greg Nadjiwon (seated, left) and Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Operational Services James Scongack (seated, right) marked the start of new collaboration between SON and Bruce Power to market a reliable supply of Lutetium-177 helping in the global fight against cancer. Back row, from left, MPP of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and Associate Minister of Energy Bill Walker, Saugeen First Nation Chief Lester Anoquot, Strategic Initiatives Officer of Indigenous Services Canada Brandy Oliveira, Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck.
