Constructed between 1975-1983 by NB Power, the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is capable of producing 680 MW of electricity. Powered by a
CANDU reactor, it is the only nuclear reactor in Atlantic Canada and the only one operating in Canada outside Ontario. Though still in operation, it was shut down from 2008 to October of 2012, when it was brought back on line.
On Point Lepreau on the
Bay of Fundy near Dipper Harbour, the station is west of Saint John, NB by about 28 kilometres and another 14 kilometres south on Highway 790. Access to the station is very tightly controlled, as we discovered when attempting to get a photo of the site.
After driving down a back road into the station we were surrounded by security guards who, we learned, had been watching us on hidden cameras for several kilometres. The guards turned out to be very nice, affable gentlemen with a LOT of questions for us. After a lengthy yet somewhat jovial back and forth conversation, they allowed us to take a couple of distant pictures, bid us adieu and allowed us to go on our merry way. It was an adventure, to be sure, suddenly finding ourselves surrounded by security, not knowing what their agenda might be. Ultimately, though, it was a quite pleasant experience meeting and talking at length with the station's security force. I suspect, though, that they got quite a kick out of the nutty tourists from British Columbia.
The coordinates given are at the scene of the encounter, at the northeastern corner of the station's grounds.