Wow! I loged off too early last night and missed this!
I haven't heard a thing about this on any program yet this morning. What the 'ef are the Canucks doing up there?
After doing a little research, I found the following:
Photo copy of the nuclear reactor at McMaster University:
Weblink to the McMaster Nuclear Reactor homepage:http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/mnr/Main-Page/Frameset-homepage.htm
Facility also includes:
Cyclotron
Accelerator
Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) Detector
Wide Angle Neutron Scattering Facilities
"McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) is a "pool-type" reactor, with a core of enriched uranium fuel moderated and cooled by a light water. It operates weekdays from 8am to 12 midnight at a thermal power of 2 MW. All facilities have thermal and epithermal capability except the Dry Tube, which is epithermal only. Irradiation times can vary from seconds to months."
There is much more information than I am posting here, but remember this is a research facility. It is used for fields of study that range broadly. To what extent students have access to the core material, remains to be seen. An interview with some of the scientists at this facility, perhaps, could provide better insight into this question.