Manning turns up heat on CNF funding decision

Natural Resources Canada minister Ralph Goodale says the Canadian Neutron Facility (CNF) is still on the table for possible future funding and is still being weighed against other research priorities. Goodale addressed the CNF issue on March 13 in the House of Commons in response to questioning from Preston Manning, science and technology (S&T) critic for the Canadian Alliance (CA).

Manning emphasized the urgency of a prompt funding decision, given the growing reality of a Canadian "neutron gap" between the time the current research reactor in Chalk River ON is shut down and a new facility is constructed and operational.

"Even if the government made a decision today to proceed with the new facility, it would take five or six years to construct. That means there is a gap in which Canada loses clients for this facility and, more important, the scientists who are needed to make it work," said Manning.

For the government's part, Goodale says the CNF "could very well become a very important part of the research establishment within this country" and will be considered "in due course". But he cautioned that the economic slowdown could make such a funding decision even more critical given its price tag which he said "could total $500 million".

"We take very seriously the timing considerations and the magnitude of this particular science proposal," said Goodale.

Earlier this year, RE$EARCH MONEY reported that the CNF and Canada's overall support for the nuclear industry would be debated by Cabinet in early March (R$, February 12/01). That debate is now apparently scheduled for later this month and could result in a major restructuring of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

The CNF is considered a key piece of research infrastructure for the materials science community and, if constructed, would be a shared resource between the broad community of materials researchers and AECL. The CA has decided to make the CNF a major plank in its support for S&T and Manning has taken a personal interest in seeing the facility built as soon as possible. Chalk River is in one of two Ontario ridings won by the CA in the last election.

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