The honours were presented during the 45th Annual Canadian Nuclear Society Conference in Calgary, where staff earned the 2026 CNS President’s Award and the Education & Communication Award for advancing fusion energy awareness and science outreach.
The CNS President’s Award was presented to Dr. Blair P. Bromley of CNL and Dr. Peter Schwanke of CÉGEP Heritage College for their leadership over the past 15 years as co-chairs of the Canadian Nuclear Society’s Fusion Energy and Accelerator Science and Technology Division.
Bromley serves as a reactor physicist at CNL, providing technical expertise in reactor physics, advanced fuels and reactor technologies. Bromley says he was not expecting the honour, which is one of many that have been bestowed upon him over the years, but adds that this award is a little different.
Bromley and co-award winner Dr. Peter Schwanke are part of a 500-strong membership, and they primarily provide their colleagues with news and information about developments in the fields of fusion science and technology in Canada and around the world. The sources of that information, Bromley says, are wide-ranging and extensive.
Bromley says that while they are educating their members, they are also indirectly informing the public about the many and varied aspects of nuclear technology. He says his time and efforts over the past 15 years formed the basis for receiving the award.
Canada has a long history of nuclear development, with a significant amount of that knowledge originating from Chalk River Laboratories. Since the 1940s, Canada has contributed technological and scientific research that rivals that of any country in the world. CANDU reactors are a Canadian invention, and Bromley says the technology remains highly effective today.
Bromley intends to continue in his volunteer roles as co-chair of the Accelerator Division and the Space Nuclear Applications Division (SNAPD). Congratulations to Drs. Bromley and Schwanke on this distinguished honour.
