Trip sells Alberta mayor on nuclear power

The mayor ofa townnorthwest of Edmonton saidheis feeling comfortable about the possibility of a nuclear reactor in his backyard after a trip to see a reactor in New Brunswick.

Energy Alberta Corporation, which wants to build a reactor in the province, recently flew WhitecourtMayor Trevor Thain and a number of councillors from the area to the East Coast to tour a reactor.

Thain says after seeing NB Power's plant at Point Lepreau, he no longer hasfears about safety and is actuallylooking at the huge economic benefits a reactor would mean.

"It provides stability for the next 25 to 50 years for a community that's based on resources. We're based on forestry, and oil and gas primarily and this will do nothing but support those industries."

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. and Calgary-based Energy Alberta Corp. met with the Tory caucusearlier this monthto talk about building a $6.2-billion reactor in north-central Alberta.

Finding a host community is one of the first steps on the road to regulator approval.

The only other community that's expressed an interested in housing the reactor is Peace River. EnergyAlberta officials will be flying representatives from that community out east at the end of the month.

Supporters believe a nuclear plant could help power the oilsands, but opponents are convinced it would be too costly andbe too great arisk to public safety.

While federal Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn has told reporters he favours using nuclear energy to extract petroleum from the oilsands in Alberta, provincial Environment Minister Rob Renner promised "some fairly broad-based public consultation" first.