The stunning underwater video footage captured in Lake Huron has led to the area being referred to as “fish city” by a documentary crew, showcased in honor of Earth Day. However, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON) has contested this portrayal, describing the location near the warm-water discharge of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station as a “fish trap.”
SON has raised concerns following the deaths of around five million gizzard shad in 2025, as reported by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in a regulatory document from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. This significant fish mortality incident occurred when an influx of fish congested the cooling water intake systems, resulting in the shutdown of Bruce A Unit 2 by the utility.
Additionally, SON highlighted the plight of several lake sturgeon, an endangered species of cultural significance in Anishnaabe traditions, which became stranded in a pond at the plant. While one sturgeon was rescued in November through joint efforts by Bruce Power and SON, three others remain trapped.
The disagreement over the designation of “fish city” carries broader implications, questioning how Bruce Power manages environmental risks while seeking regulatory approval to enhance plant capacities for increased electricity production.
Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, the largest nuclear facility in North America, releases warm water as part of its cooling system, attracting fish to the area. Although regulators did not attribute the fish die-off directly to the plant, SON biologist Ryan Lauzon’s comprehensive study on the 2025 incident suggests that the site operates in two phases: attraction and entrapment.
According to Lauzon, the warm effluent acts as a lure, drawing fish into the plant’s intake system where larger fish may become trapped as they lack a clear exit route. This raises concerns about the well-being of the fish population congregating around the nuclear plant.
Bruce Power has refuted allegations that the plant was responsible for the 2025 fish mortality, attributing the event to exceptional environmental circumstances such as high shad numbers and severe winter conditions. The utility stated that it has implemented various deterrent measures and enhanced monitoring to prevent further fish ingress into its systems.
Seeking approval to amplify electricity generation from existing reactors, Bruce Power aims to boost output by approximately 11% by 2030 without constructing new reactors. This proposal is intended to meet escalating provincial energy demands safely within environmental constraints, as emphasized by Maggie Tieman, the director of community and external affairs at Bruce Power.
Despite operating under stringent regulations, a 2024 report acknowledged the absence of clear benchmarks for assessing acceptable levels of fish mortality related to plant operations. This ambiguity underscores the ongoing challenge in determining thresholds for fish losses deemed unacceptable in the context of nuclear power plant activities.
The significance of the gizzard shad in the lake ecosystem was highlighted by Paul Jones, a former fisherman and current councilor with the Chippewas of the Nawash Unceded First Nation. He emphasized the ecological and cultural importance of fish, particularly the role of shad as a vital food source affecting the broader lake ecosystem.
Jones emphasized the cultural reverence for fish in Anishnaabe teachings, underscoring the ecological and cultural implications of the fish deaths and stressing the need for a holistic perspective beyond mere celebratory portrayals like “fish city.”