SASKATOON — Gerald Grandey may call himself retired, but the former Cameco CEO has never really slowed down — a reality now underscored by his appointment to the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
Technically,d Grandey said he has been retired since stepping away as president and CEO of Cameco in 2011. He has enjoyed retirement for almost a decade now and has been living in Denver, Col., but regularly visits relatives and friends in Saskatoon, which he still considers home.
He splits his time, spending half in the U.S. with his children and grandchildren, 40 per cent in Saskatoon, where he maintains a residence since Saskatchewan remains a large part of his life, and the remaining 10 per cent elsewhere.
While some assumed Grandey had faded from the Saskatchewan scene after retirement, he says that perception is inaccurate. He describes his retirement as very busy, noting that being retired has not slowed him down. He remains active on several boards and continues to support philanthropic initiatives.
Grandey also has active advisory roles and board memberships, and serves as a mentor to small- and mid-sized entrepreneurial startups in Saskatoon. He says all these activities keep him intellectually engaged and allow him to give back to a community that supported his career.
His nearly two-decade-long career with Cameco, one of the world’s largest uranium producers with a large footprint in Saskatchewan, and his continued engagement in business, mentorship and community initiatives have earned him the Order of Canada.
Grandey said he does not know who nominated him, but he is being recognized for helping raise Saskatchewan’s global profile in uranium mining. His contribution is now being formally recognized with his induction into the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honours.
He joins philanthropist and business leader Wayne Brownlee, who has made contributions to education, health and heritage; Indigenous artist and storyteller Maria Campbell; and Indigenous author and Sixties Scoop survivor Michelle Good, who are also being bestowed the award from Saskatchewan.
Grandey said he was surprised after learning of his appointment quietly through a confidential notification late last year. The list of recipients was publicly released afterward, confirming he is one of four recipients from the province.
“It was completely unexpected. I got the call and was frankly overwhelmed. It’s a fairly rare honour, and certainly a national one. I’ve received other awards over the years, but this one really stood out. Nobody ever receives something like this on their own,” said Grandey.
“It reflects the success we had as a team at Cameco, but also the support I had from colleagues, family and people in the community. I accept it for the people I worked with, the volunteers, the community leaders and everyone who supported me along the way. It’s not about one individual. It never is.”
Grandey joined Cameco in 1993 and gradually made his way to the top, becoming president in 2000 and adding the CEO title in 2002. He led the company through periods of public skepticism toward nuclear energy and left behind a firm that had established itself as a global player when he retired in 2011.
He said that despite being “retired” and keeping himself busy with business and community engagement, he continues to follow the nuclear and uranium sectors, industries close to his heart. He added that public and political perceptions of nuclear energy have shifted in recent years.
“I’ve been through three or four cycles in my career where nuclear was viewed positively, then negatively, often because of external events. There were times of outright opposition and periods when the industry struggled with public trust,” said Grandey.
“In the last two or three years, nuclear has been viewed very positively. There’s broader public and political support, without the sharp divisions we used to see. Nuclear is being recognized for its clean energy benefits, its ability to deliver power 24/7 without reliance on weather, and its national security advantages. We’re in a very positive up-cycle right now.”
For someone who is officially retired, Grandey’s days remain full of ideas, conversations, guidance and service. The Order of Canada is a significant milestone, he said, but it reflects a reality that has defined his post-Cameco years: for him, retirement has meant a different way to stay involved.
