Good reason to embrace reactor

Why are there apparently no steps being taken to build another nuclear reactor, similar to the one at Chalk River, Ont., to produce medical diagnostic isotopes?
The reactor in Ontario has been shut down due to a heavy water leak. It is expected to be down for more than a month, leaving only enough isotopes to last until the weekend.
Chalk River produces about half of the supply of isotopes used around the world. The isotopes are used in the treatment of cancer and heart ailments and for medical imaging.
Western Canada fares better than the rest of the country as most of this region receives its isotopes from Europe.
The same reactor was shut down in November 2007 and resulted in a global shortage of isotopes.
As a result of this shutdown, an expert medical panel conducted a review and determined a need for more facilities to supply the isotopes and lessen the dependence on the 52-year-old reactor.
But so far, nothing more has been done.
It's quite understandable that no government wants to rush in to the building of a nuclear reactor. But at the same time, if we had more than one, each could shut down for maintenance and testing on a more regular basis. If a problem is found, production doesn't have to grind to a total halt.
There has been a lot of talk lately about building a nuclear reactor in Saskatchewan. Reception to the idea has been tepid at best. However, if it were to be used for producing medical isotopes, perhaps people would warm up to it a little more. We appreciate the need for an alternative energy source, but the problems in Chalk River make us shiver at the thought of a reactor here. Yet we also shiver at the thought of delaying cancer treatments or treatments for heart conditions.
If the province is so set on putting our uranium to good use, perhaps it could start with a reactor that produces isotopes for medical use first.