City of Owen Sound Co-hosts Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition Launch Event

Today, the official launch event of the Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition (SOIC) took place at BWXT in Owen Sound. Co-hosted by the City of Owen Sound, the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council (CNIC), and the Nuclear Innovation Institute (NII), the event brought together regional isotope champions, elected government officials, and community stakeholders for a thought-provoking panel discussion and regional collaborative partnership announcements.

The Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition was formed in June with the goal of bringing together the region’s many strengths in supporting Canada’s national imperative and vision to increase the production, development, and use of medical isotopes in the global fight against cancer.

Mayor Ian Boddy, Co-Chair of the Coalition, delivered this morning’s opening and closing remarks. James Scongack, Chair of the CNIC and Coalition Co-Chair, and Jessica Linthorne, Chief Operating Officer at NII and Coalition Co-Chair, held a fireside chat about isotopes’ significant contributions to modern medicine, the global isotope market, and the unique opportunities in this industry both locally and on a national scale.

In addition, the audience heard from a panel of local leaders, including:

• Azar Asad; CEO of A.I. VALI
• Dave Shorey; Executive Director of Georgian College
• Melody Greaves; Policy, Government, and Stakeholder Relations Specialist at the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council
• Sean Conroy; Executive Vice President, Strategy & Development, Brightshores Health System

Southwestern Ontario is uniquely positioned to grow as a centre of isotope excellence. Home to Bruce Power, Georgian College, and the regional hospital, the area is poised for success in supporting Canada’s medical isotope production, education, and research.

Looking forward, the Coalition’s next steps are to bring regional collaborative partners together to develop a strategic approach to leverage the opportunity presented by the medical isotope industry.

For more information, please contact Paul McGrath, Manager of Business & Community Development at 519-376-4440 ext. 1254 or email pmcgrath@owensound.ca.

Quotes:

"We now have a unique opportunity to support the important role Canada can play internationally in fighting cancer, saving lives, and providing hope with life-saving medical isotopes produced right here in our region. Our area is posed for success.”

        -Mayor Ian Boddy

“With the demand for medical isotopes expected to double by 2030, efforts like this new Coalition are a step towards integrating government, industry and local partners with the production happening at Bruce Power. Initiatives like this will position the region to play a leading role in helping shape our isotopes future.”

-James Scongack

“Isotope production in our region offers an incredible opportunity for us to work collaboratively to understand and leverage the potential within the industry. Innovative technology, training and advanced research is happening now close to home, so by bringing these partners together we’ll be stronger.”

-Jessica Linthorne

Quick Facts:

• Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical science that uses isotopes (radioactive substances) to diagnose, characterize, and treat disease.
• Isotopes are also used by the healthcare industry to sterilize medical devices such as sutures, gloves and syringes.
• For more than half a century, Canada has been a world leader in developing, producing, and using medical isotopes.
• The CNIC’s newest report, Isotopes for Hope: Canadian Leadership Needed Now More Than Ever can be viewed here.
• The global market for nuclear medicine reached $6 billion USD in 2021, despite the global shutdowns and supply chain challenges of the pandemic, and will continue to expand quickly to reach between $14 and $33 billion USD by 2031.
• For more information, visit SouthWesternIsotopeCoalition.ca

Pictured in the attached image, from left to right: Scott David, Stevcon Packaging & Logistics Ltd.; Rob Clark, Isowater Corporation; Darryl Spector, Promation; Scott Gray, BWXT; Sean Conroy, Brightshores Health System; Ian Boddy, Mayor of Owen Sound; Jessica Linthorne, Nuclear Innovation Institute; Azar Azad, A.I. VALI INC.; James Scongack, Chair of Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council; Brian Milne, Warden of Grey County; Yousef Yacoob, Kinectrics; Chris Peabody, Warden of Bruce County; Dave Shorey, Georgian College; John Peevers, Bruce Power

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