Montreal Laboratory

The Montreal Laboratory was a program created by the National Research Council of Canada in the 1940s during World War II. Its purpose was to conduct nuclear research together with scientists from the United Kingdom, especially those who had been part of the Tube Alloys project in Britain. Eventually, the Montreal Laboratory became a part of the famous Manhattan Project and helped design and build some of the world’s first nuclear reactors.

After the Fall of France, several French scientists brought with them a valuable resource called heavy water and fled to Britain. They worked temporarily at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. Because there was uncertainty about how this work fit with building an atomic bomb, it was decided to move the group closer to the Manhattan Project’s reactor efforts. Due to security concerns and patent issues, the group was relocated to Canada instead of the United States.

The Canadian government agreed to host the scientists, and the Montreal Laboratory was set up in a building owned by McGill University. It later moved to the Université de Montréal in 1943. Over time, the laboratory brought together scientists from many countries, including France, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Switzerland, and Britain, as well as talented Canadian researchers. Despite challenges in getting the materials they needed, the laboratory played an important role in early nuclear science. Later, a new facility called the Chalk River Laboratories was opened, and the Montreal Laboratory closed in 1946.

Early nuclear research in Canada

Canada has a long history of involvement with nuclear research, starting with the work of Ernest Rutherford at McGill University in 1899. In 1940, George Laurence of the National Research Council (NRC) began experiments in Ottawa to study neutron capture and nuclear fission in uranium. He used materials from the Eldorado Mine at Port Radium and tested his ideas with a Geiger counter.

These experiments continued into 1942 but faced challenges due to impurities. Despite this, Laurence’s work caught the attention of British scientists, including R. H. Fowler and John Cockcroft, who shared news of nuclear research happening in Britain and the United States. This led to further support and interest in Canada’s nuclear science efforts.

French connection

During World War II, a group of scientists from France, including Hans von Halban, Lew Kowarski, and Francis Perrin, escaped to Britain with a valuable supply of heavy water. Heavy water is a special form of water that helps in nuclear reactions. These scientists worked in Britain for a while but wanted to move to a safer place. They chose Canada because it could produce more heavy water.

Canada agreed to help produce heavy water, and scientists worked together to design early nuclear reactors. This teamwork was important for early advances in nuclear science.

Establishment

The Montreal Laboratory was set up in the 1940s during World War II by the National Research Council of Canada. It was created to do nuclear research together with the United Kingdom and to bring in scientists and work from the Tube Alloys project in Britain. The lab became part of the famous Manhattan Project and helped design some of the world's first nuclear reactors.

Scientists from many countries joined the lab in Montreal. Some had escaped from Europe to Canada after the war began. They worked in a building at the Université de Montréal, which was quickly prepared to become their new laboratory. Over time, the team grew to include more than 300 people, including many Canadian scientists.

Research

The Montreal Laboratory focused on developing nuclear reactors. One idea was to dissolve uranium in heavy water to create a special mixture. They also explored using uranium metal rods in heavy water. There was interest in special reactors that could create new materials from uranium.

The Montreal Laboratory needed heavy water to build reactors, but faced challenges in getting enough of it. After discussions between leaders of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, cooperation resumed. By 1944, plans were made to build a heavy water reactor in Canada, with help from the United States.

In 1945, a small reactor named ZEEP became the first to operate outside the United States. It helped test ideas for bigger reactors. The larger NRX reactor followed in 1947 and became a powerful tool for research, providing valuable information for science and medicine.

Atomic spies

In September 1945, a clerk named Igor Gouzenko from the Soviet Union's embassy in Ottawa defected to Canada. He brought important documents showing that some people in Canada were sharing secret information with the Soviet Union.

Among those involved were Alan Nunn May, who passed small samples of special uranium types to Soviet agents, and Fred Rose, a member of parliament. Some scientists at the Montreal Laboratory were also suspected, but clear proof was never found. When this spy activity became known in 1946, the United States became more careful about sharing nuclear secrets with Britain and Canada.

Cooperation ends

The Montreal Laboratory was a successful international effort, but sometimes the Canadians felt the British were not very considerate. For example, in November 1945, the British government suddenly chose a new leader for their atomic research without telling Canada first. This showed that Britain’s interest in working with Canada was decreasing.

After World War II, cooperation between Britain and the United States changed. The British had hoped to share nuclear technology with America, but the U.S. limited cooperation to basic research only. In February 1946, Britain announced plans to build its own nuclear reactor without consulting Canada, which upset the Canadians. As a result, nuclear cooperation between Britain and Canada came to an end.