NSMTC Receives National Recognition for Nuclear Leadership

June 12, 2025

The North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council (NSMTC) has received the 2025 Harold A. Smith Outstanding Contribution Award, presented by the Canadian Nuclear Society (CNS) and the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA).

The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the Canadian nuclear sector. The NSMTC was selected for its leadership in advancing Indigenous participation in nuclear innovation and development, particularly through its work in Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies and national energy planning.

Since 2019, the NSMTC has moved beyond consultation to direct participation, claiming space at decision-making tables and creating opportunities for Indigenous leadership in the energy sector, with particular focus in nuclear. The NSMTC was among the first Indigenous signatories to the federal SMR Action Plan and continues to contribute on both the National Nuclear Leadership Table and Indigenous Advisory Council.

In 2023, the NSMTC signed landmark equity deals with Moltex Energy Canada and ARC Clean Technology, world-first investments by First Nations in Gen-4 nuclear technologies. These equity stakes total $3M and position the NSMTC’s Member Nations as shareholders in two Canadian companies developing Gen-4 Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies, and with Moltex, fuel recycling. In 2025, the NSMTC signed an MOU with Westinghouse to explore deployment of MMR and SMR technologies.

In 2025, the NSMTC released the Indigenous SMR Supply Chain Overview and Gap Analysis with its partner, Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick (WNNB). This is part of a multi-year research initiative funded by NRCan, aimed at growing Indigenous business involvement in the SMR economy in New Brunswick.

Jim Ward, General Manager of the NSMTC, accepted the award on behalf of the organization during the CNS/CNA Honours and Awards Luncheon on June 10 in Toronto.

Later this year, the NSMTC will host the Atlantic Indigenous-Led Energy Symposium and, in Spring 2026, the first Indigenous-Led Nuclear Innovation & Development Conference. Both events will bring together rights-holders, industry leaders, and partners to shape the future of nuclear development.

Learn more about the NSMTC’s energy leadership at nsmtc.ca/energy.

NT5