August 25 - NB Power

As I stepped out of the van - I settled into a routine that had become second-nature to me over the past five weeks. Today was August 25th and yet another educating, interesting and all around amazing day at Point Lepreau (Nuclear) Generating Station.

I entered the building by passing security, and continued on to smile reassuringly at the newcomers trying desperately to learn the ins and outs of radiation protection monitors. I pushed open the double doors to the health physics lab and was greeted by many friendly faces. The lab techs were already hard at work doing various tasks from testing effluents to fixing gamma spectrometers.

My own work day started off by heading down to the crane hall and assisting Health Canada representatives in moving their “phantom man”. Not in fact a real man, but a plastic simulation used for quality control purposes. We counted the “man” on our full body counter and I helped identify which radionuclides were present.

For lunch we went to the on-site cottage and not only did we have a barbecue, but several of us partook in a game of washer toss. On our way back, we stopped in at the silos that housed nuclear waste and ended the day with a tour of the control room. With only two days left, I was still learning lots and discovering new aspects of the plant every day; hopeful to return at a later date and unravel the challenges that await at Point Lepreau.

Lucas Jarche
Hometown: Sackville, NB