After welcoming nearly 16,000 people through the doors of its Visitors’ Centre in 2016, Bruce Power continues to expand its visitor programs. Up by more than 3,000 people since 2010, last year’s tally includes tour participants, pre-arranged programs, guests at special events and more than 4,000 drop-in visitors.

With plans on track to keep the Centre open seven days a week this summer, James Scongack, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Environment, attributes the increase in visitor traffic to bus tours, new exhibits and a general interest in Bruce Power.

“We started the bus tour program on a trial basis a couple of years ago with tremendous success and expanded it to six days a week last summer,” said Scongack. “We’re also focused on continual improvement in the exhibit hall. In the last five years we’ve replaced or upgraded every exhibit in the facility. There is a lot of interest in electricity these days and we want visitors to completely understand our role in providing 30 per cent of the province’s power at 30 per cent less than the average cost.”

From a January 26 media release, in 2016 a new Welcome Wall was installed near the front entrance of the Visitors’ Centre to provide a first impression of Bruce Power and its connection with the surrounding communities, environment and Indigenous peoples. Plans this year include the installation of a new Cobalt 60 display and state-of-the-art upgrades to the Centre’s 100-seat theatre.

“Bruce Power provides much of the world’s Cobalt-60 which is used to sterilize disposable medical supplies and also for gamma-knife surgery in the treatment of brain cancer,” Scongack said. “This is an amazing story we want to tell in an intriguing manner at our Visitors’ Centre.”

The Visitors’ Centre is open to the public year-round Monday to Friday with expanded hours in the summer months; closed statutory holidays. Drop-in guests are welcome and prearranged presentations and bus tours for community groups (25 people or more) can be booked by calling 519-396-7777. More information can be found through Bruce Power’s Visit Us page.