Yes, the research of atomic energy and nuclear physics was well under way in Canada, at least by 1930. This is concerning a scientist totally unconnected with Ms. Gleave, as far as I know, but it illustrates just how far back research was being done:
http://media.cns-snc.ca/history/early_years/earlyyears.html
"....He joined the staff of the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) in
1930 and became active in
improving the measurement of radiation dosage in the treatment of cancer and in promoting safety from radiation exposure.
He has been involved in nuclear energy development in Canada since its beginning, continuing in the Montreal nuclear energy laboratory in 1943-44 and at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories. He directed the staff that did the preparatory research and development and the conceptual design of the NRU reactor...."
more at link
Also, a short overview:
"
In the 1930’s, European scientists made great progress in nuclear research. When
Hitler’s armies marched into the Czechoslovakia in 1938 and then Poland in 1939 –
the beginning of World War II – many of Europe’s top scientists were already fleeing
the coming war. Researchers and scientists on both sides of the war were fully aware that nuclear fission could be used in a weapon, but at that time not quite clear on how.
Shortly, physicists stopped publishing their results within the field of fissile
processes, to prevent their opponents from reaching their results faster.
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project is the name of a huge project launched by the
US, Canada and the UK in`1942 to develop an atomic bomb sooner than Hitler’s Germany managed to do the same. Born out of a small research program in 1939,
the Manhattan Project eventually employed more than 130,000 people. The leader of the project,
General Leslie Groves, created multiple production and research sites that operated in secret.
The three main centres were found in the US: Oak Ridge in Tennessee, Hanford in
Washington and Los Alamos in New Mexico.
In addition, more than 30 research sites
were established in the US, Canada and the UK....."
more at link
I hope that's just an innocent little pond in Ms. Gleave's backyard!!
ETA: On one of the later papers (mid 80s) in which one of Ms. Gleave's papers of 1969 is cited, her name is highlighted. No other name is highlighted in the same way, just hers. Page 22.
http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/6850210-JWgofH/