New chair will help leverage Ontario’s nuclear advantage to advance clean energy innovation and strengthen the province’s global competitiveness
The Ontario and Canadian governments have selected the University of Toronto to establish the Centre for Fusion Energy Research Chair. Supported by a $5 million joint federal and provincial investment, this announcement builds on the governments’ $52.5 million investment to establish the Centre and further position Ontario as a global leader in energy research and commercialization, attracting more investment and good-paying jobs.
“Ontario and Canada are marking another major milestone in our plan to harness Ontario’s nuclear advantage and secure the clean, reliable energy needed to power our future,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “University of Toronto is a proven research powerhouse, and as host to our new Centre for Fusion Energy Research Chair, the university will play a critical role in advancing clean energy innovation by driving transformative fusion research.
The University of Toronto, which is investing an additional $2.5 million in the endowment, will serve as the home base for research focused on plasma physics for fusion energy. Leveraging the university’s world-class engineering and physics expertise, the initiative will provide cutting-edge research infrastructure, hands-on learning opportunities for students and industry partnerships to attract top talent, drive investment and strengthen Ontario’s emerging fusion energy sector. As host, the university will lead a competitive recruitment process to identify and appoint a world-class researcher to serve as the inaugural chair.
“To master our destiny and be an energy superpower, we need to invest in the technologies and talent that will keep us globally competitive,” said Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “This new research chair will advance fusion innovation, strengthen Canada’s energy advantage, and develop the skilled workforce needed to drive economic growth, attract investment and build a more competitive, resilient economy.”
Today’s announcement builds on the province’s $19.5 million investment in November 2025 and the Canadian government investment of $33 million to establish the Centre for Fusion Energy alongside Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Stellarex Group Limited, which has committed to investing up to $39 million in the Centre.
“The University of Toronto has a storied role in training Canada’s engineers and scientists who designed our flagship CANDU reactor,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “That leadership carries on today as they host the province’s first Fusion Energy Research Chair — helping to commercialize the next generation of clean and limitless nuclear power. Ontario is home to virtually all of the world’s commercial tritium supply, a key fuel for fusion energy. This is a unique made-in-Ontario advantage as we build and solidify a domestic supply chain that is exportable to the world. This builds on Ontario’s investment to establish the Centre for Fusion Energy with a mandate to attract investment, create good-paying jobs and further cement our place at the frontier of clean energy innovation”.
This appointment supports Energy for Generations, the government’s integrated energy plan to ensure Ontario has clean, reliable and affordable energy that will power new homes and drive the strongest economy in the G7. With a clear path forward, the plan is not only meeting the demands of today, but it is protecting jobs, supporting workers and powering economic growth for generations to come.
Quick Facts
- This initiative builds on the MOU that was signed in 2024 between OPG, Stellarex, AECL and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL), to explore establishing a Centre for Fusion Energy in Ontario and continue nurturing a globally competitive domestic fusion ecosystem.
- Ontario is home to over 75,000 workers in the nuclear supply chain, providing a strong workforce for fusion energy development.
- Ontario has almost all of the world’s commercial tritium—a by-product of OPG’s CANDU reactors—which serves as the key fusion fuel for nearly all fusion reactor designs.
- If nuclear fusion energy is commercialized, it is estimated that economic benefits to Canada could be worth up to $523 billion by the year 2100.
- In September 2025, the Ontario government signed an MOU with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Group for OPG to work toward supplying tritium to the UKAEA – a critical fuel for nuclear fusion.
- In June 2026, the federal government announced Canada’s first-ever Nuclear Energy Strategy, which aims to position Canada as a global nuclear superpower by accelerating nuclear development, strengthening domestic supply chains, diversifying exports and attracting investment. Backed by $518.5 million in Budget 2026, the Strategy aims to enable up to 10 new large-scale reactors, create good jobs and deliver reliable, affordable, low-emissions electricity at home and abroad.
- In July 2026, the Ontario government invested an additional $4.6 million to increase the production of cancer-fighting medical isotopes at the McMaster Nuclear Reactor — Canada’s largest nuclear research facility and one of the world’s top suppliers of life-saving medical isotopes.
- Since 2018, the Ontario government has invested over $2 billion into the research sector, including support for over 1,600 research projects that drive ground-breaking discoveries and create jobs across key sectors, including energy.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
