Does Canada have the type of Nuclear reactors capable of building a nuclear weapon if it wanted to?

Question

Are all of Canada's reactors the same type?

And do you think Canada should?

Canada has heavy-water CANDU reactors, where as most of the United States reactors are light-water.

Answer 1

Yes we do have them (Candu heavy water breeder) and yes they are all variations of the same type. We also refine and reuse our spent fuels. In addition to this we accept unused weapons grade material for refining and for use as fuel. We regularly recieve material from dismanteled weapons from Russia, Ukraine and USA. If we wanted to make weapons grade material it would not be a problem but it would be much cheaper to build a small research type reactor just for that. I have a hard time understanding why a country like Iran would go with a power reactor if they were trying to make weapons. A small research reactor would be so much easier to do and would not require the same complexity of refining after ward. Why do you ask? We don't build nukes and don't have any. What would we do with them. Nukes are only good as long as you don't use them. If you need to use them you are screwed already..

Answer 2

Yes we could. Canada's oldest reactor was part of the Manhattan project and is still in use for research purposes. India's nuclear weapons program was unfortunately built on CANDU power reactors. Canadian scientists have had the technical know-how to build nuclear weapons for the last 60 years. Rather than produce weapons, Canada produces radioisotopes for medical diagnostics and cancer treatment. Canada has a Nobel Prize in Physics for the Triple Axis Spectrometer used for measuring the structure and dynamics of materials on an atomic scale. Applications range from advanced materials to pharmaceuticals. Canada does not have nuclear weapons because we don't need them. Canadians can rely on our American friend and ally for nuclear deterrence. Besides, along with the US, Australia and Argentina, Canada has a green nuke. We could cause more damage to an unfriendly government by stopping wheat exports than by exploding a nuke, and there would be no environmental catastrophe from radioactive fallout.

Answer 3

Canada could easily have the most nuclear weapons of any country more than the US and Russia if Canada really wanted to or needed to, with all the vast resources and raw minerals available to us, fact is Canada is more than capable of defending itself if something ever happened to the states. With one of the best militaries in NATO and some of the best snipers and trained soldiers Canada`s army would grow into the millions if we were in a genuine threat, just look at ww1 and 2 Canada had a huge army. That along with a world of allies Canada is fine and doesn`t need nuclear weapons, lets face it once a nculear war starts its only a matter of time until we all die, NO winner.

Answer 4

Yes, in nuclear reactor the burns Uranium will create some amount of Pu which can be used to make a bomb.

However the whole idea of the CANDU reactor is to use heavy water so you can burn natural enriched Uranium. There are some advantages to being able to use natural Uranium. But by removing the enrichment process it is in a way of saying that your are not making bombs. It is much easier to make a bomb out of U-235 than to make a bomb out of Pu-239.

Answer 5

Essentially, Canada has the technology to develop nuclear weapons if we wanted to (in fact, much of the Uranium for the early US weapons was in fact mined in Canada). However, Canada would not be likely to do so for the following reasons:

1. Canada is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, committing to not develop such weapons.

2. Canada does not have the financial resources to devote to such a program.

3. Canada's military is not presently equiped for offensive operations; in other words, we lack a suitable delivery system.

4. Canada does not have enemies that need to be deterred by a nuclear show-of-force.

5. Because Canada has an open democracy, such a program would inevitably become public knowledge in short order. In turn, the majority of Canadians would oppose such a program.

6. If we ever did need a nuclear weapon, we'd probably just borrow one from the Americans! ;-)

Answer 6

I presume they do. Spent rods from reactors may be further refined to create fissionable bomb-grade material.

I doubt they're all the same.

The only country I know of that adopted a common Nuke reactor site was France (If I remember correctly).

Sure Canada should be able to have nuke reactors. I think Canada is the least of our worries-- they're a decent country that is our ally.

Answer 7

I'm not sure if we have the capabilities. It is not something that is ever talked about. I don't think it will ever happen here. BTW Josephlin the US is a major polluter. Most of the pollution in our air comes from the US. Also as most people know, we are pretty much a peaceful country, and that is the MAJOR reason why we wouldn't have nukes, we also do try to do whats best for the environment here. So don't talk about things that you do not have facts to back up please.

Answer 8

Canada does have the type of reactor needed to build a nuclear weapon.
I don't think they would ever want to. No all of Canada's reactors are not the
same.

Answer 9

yes we sure do, in fact we supplied the nuclear reactors to India which they in turn used to build their nuclear weapons program, but unlike other countries we have no ambition for war and instead we just use them for electricity.

Answer 10

Canada does have the potential and technology to create nuclear weapons. Not all their nuclear reactors are of the same type. So far, they have rejected the idea of building nuclear weapons, though, if I'm correct mostly for economical reasons rather than love of peace or the environment (They only have about 20 battlefield tanks that were build in the 70's, for instance, +Canada remains one of the world's largest poluters...)
Strange as it may sound, Canada's saving grace is the fact that all Canadian governments so far have tried to keep the second largest country in the world running on a shoe string!