On his first day of law school, Stephen Waycott (LLB’04) heard a warning from his professors: the study of law would permanently alter how students saw the world. “We would forevermore filter everything we hear and read and see through our legal background and knowledge,” he recalls. The words proved prophetic. Waycott’s career has since taken him from private practice to government policy, and now into one of the most complex regulatory environments in the world: nuclear energy.
Along the way, he has also cultivated a parallel passion—wildlife photography—that requires its own way of seeing. In both law and photography, he has found that success depends on the same combination: technical mastery paired with creativity.
Waycott has been part of New Brunswick’s energy story for decades. He first worked at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station in the 1990s as a power plant operator, long before he entered law school (he still retains his qualification as a Power Engineer). After law school and several years in private practice, he transitioned into government, becoming Director of Electricity and Nuclear Energy for the province. There, he led major files, including the 2013 restructuring of the province’s electricity market and the drafting of a new Electricity Act.
“It was an 18-month project that brought government, NB Power, and external advisors together to reverse the competitive electricity market and return NB Power to a single, vertically integrated utility. My role was to research options, recommend solutions to the Minister and Cabinet, lead the team through legislative drafting, and serve as the main liaison with NB Power and outside counsel. It was long, demanding work—but deeply fulfilling.”
That policy work set the stage for his return to NB Power in 2013 and a career that has been defined by roles that bridge technical operations and regulatory oversight. As Nuclear Regulatory Affairs Manager, he represented the utility and Point Lepreau before the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and industry groups. While not strictly a legal role, his training at UNB proved invaluable in interpreting complex regulations and advocating effectively. Later, as Director of Corporate Regulatory Affairs—a position later expanded to include Corporate Compliance—he led the team presenting NB Power’s cases before the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board (EUB), navigating quasi-judicial proceedings with the same rigor as a courtroom.
In 2023, he stepped into his current position: Senior Nuclear Counsel. The role brings together every part of his professional background. He is the first point of contact for legal issues relating to NB Power’s role as a nuclear owner and operator—procurement, regulatory interpretation, environmental and labour issues, or matters involving prescribed nuclear information. The work requires Secret-level federal security clearance and frequent communication with nuclear industry peers and regulators.
“Running a nuclear power plant has all the same issues as any other large power plant,” Waycott explains, “but also has an additional layer of regulatory complexity that colours everything you do.”
Waycott’s work is all about bridging two worlds. He ensures suppliers and contractors meet NB Power’s stringent nuclear requirements, while also keeping regulators fully informed about how the utility is meeting those standards.
“This is not always easy or obvious,” he explains, “as the CNSC is generally an outcome-based regulator, meaning a regulatory requirement might be ‘operating staff must have sufficient rest periods between shifts to maintain proper operational focus,’ rather than being prescriptive and stating exactly how many consecutive hours or days staff can work. So, there is very often an element of convincing the regulator, through facts and evidence and calculations, that we are meeting their requirements. This can be challenging at times.”
That complexity demands not just technical expertise but persuasive advocacy. Here, his UNB Law training has been indispensable.
“Principles of statutory interpretation apply just as much to nuclear regulations as any other,” he says. “I feel like my legal background and training, combined with my years spent in the technical, operational, and managerial roles I’ve had, allow me to understand the regulatory framework more holistically than many of my colleagues.”
Nuclear energy, Waycott explains, has a unique role in New Brunswick’s future. “Point Lepreau is the largest single electrical generator in the province and provides about one third of the electricity that we use in New Brunswick, and it does so without releasing any greenhouse gases or other airborne pollution.”
The challenge is predictability. Renewable sources like wind and solar are cleaner and often cheaper, but they aren’t always available on demand—the grid can’t rely on them around the clock. As Waycott puts it, “our bulk electrical system requires steady, predictable, and dispatchable sources of energy in order to operate and keep the lights on.”
Waycott explains that reality is pushing the industry toward a new model. Instead of massive single reactors, the future lies in small modular reactors (SMRs)—units roughly one-third the size of Point Lepreau’s reactor that can be built in multiples. The advantage is flexibility: when one is offline for maintenance, others continue producing power, spreading both the risk and the cost.
“The future of nuclear electricity generation is moving away from very large units that are extremely expensive to build. Instead, focus is being placed on smaller, more standardized nuclear reactors that are generally known as small modular reactors, or SMRs.”
At NB Power, Waycott is part of the team advancing this shift. The work, he says, is demanding but energizing.
When Waycott isn’t busy navigating nuclear oversight and helping shape the future of energy in the province, he can be found knee-deep in a marsh or crouching at the edge of a vast field, camera in hand, silently waiting for the perfect light—and the perfect subject.
Photography has been part of his life since childhood, when his parents gave him his first Kodak Instamatic box camera. In high school, he became the yearbook photographer with his first “real camera,” a 35mm SLR. The passion persisted, though it ebbed and flowed as life became busier.
“I grew up in a very rural setting, and I’ve always been interested in wildlife and nature. Around 2015, I decided that this hobby was something I wanted to pursue more than just casually, so I bought a second-hand telephoto lens and started to get serious about wildlife photography. It’s been a never-ending journey of honing my skills and improving my camera equipment ever since.”
Waycott’s process blends instinct and preparation. Sometimes he sets out with a shot in mind; other times, he simply heads into the woods to see what presents itself. Often, memorable moments happen by chance. He recalls finding a pond one spring morning where Eastern Painted Turtles had emerged from brumation (the turtle version of hibernation) by the hundreds.
“I found the pond on a warm April morning, with the sun streaming through the trees that lined the pond and literally dozens and dozens of turtles covering every fallen tree, rock, and anything else sticking out of the water as they soaked up the warmth from the morning sunshine. I got so many great photos that day, and it was such an amazing thing to experience.”
Waycott explained that most of his photography comes from moments of opportunity rather than carefully pre-planned shots. When he scouts a location, it’s rarely about capturing an image right away; instead, he returns later, seeking out new possibilities revealed by shifting light at dawn or dusk, or by the changing seasons when different wildlife might appear.
“When I do find something to photograph, all the years of training and experience tend to kick in to make sure the camera and lens settings are appropriate for what I’m shooting, and then my focus is almost entirely on what I see in the viewfinder and capturing the moment in the most technically precise yet artistically and aesthetically pleasing manner.”
He has countless favourite images—each tied to a species, a place, or a moment—but resists choosing just one. For Waycott, photography is more than capturing a striking image—it is the art of precision meeting imagination. The perfect photo, he explains, begins with technical mastery: the animal’s eyes in razor-sharp focus, exposure balanced so that both light and shadow reveal their depth, and a composition that feels dynamic, even surprising. Yet technical brilliance alone is not enough.
“A good photo will contain all those elements,” he says, “but a great photo will also tell a story. What is the animal doing—hunting, courting, pausing in a moment of contemplation? The perfect photograph is one that not only achieves technical and artistic excellence but also invites the viewer into a story unfolding within the frame.”
Like the legal world, wildlife photography requires discipline, but it also calls for imagination.
“In law, a technically astute lawyer will know the best way to approach and paper a transaction, but those who can also think outside the box will bring additional value. In photography, a strong technical photographer will have perfect exposure and pin-sharp focus, but if they aren’t creative when composing or editing the image, the photo will fall flat. In both cases, you need to possess both elements in order to go from good to great.”
Balancing a demanding legal role with a serious creative practice takes perspective. “Without my career and my job, I would not be able to afford the privileged life that I have, nor the specialized, expensive equipment that allows me to pursue my hobby. On the other hand, having this hobby that connects me to my surroundings and to nature and allows me a creative outlet is what keeps me sane and grounded.”
Stephen Waycott’s story is not about two separate pursuits but a shared way of seeing. Whether drafting legislation, interpreting and applying regulatory requirements, or capturing the eyes of an osprey through a lens, he approaches the work with the same mix of discipline and artistry.
For him, law and photography are parallel crafts: both require patience, both demand precision, and both—when practiced at the highest level—create something enduring.
Discover more of Waycott’s wildlife and nature photography online:
