Promoting resources

Saskatchewan is showcased its rich and diverse mineral resources recently in Toronto at the world's largest mineral exploration convention.

The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention runs March 4 through 7, and has attracted more than 1,000 exhibitors and more than 27,000 delegates from 120 countries. They include investors, government delegations, international mining company executives, service providers and geologists from Canada and around the world.

Officials from the Ministry of Energy and Resources are meeting with mining companies and investors throughout the convention and are staffing a Saskatchewan booth at the PDAC trade show. As well, the ministry and the Saskatchewan Mining Association (SMA) are co-hosting a Saskatchewan reception for industry on Tuesday, March 6.

Saskatchewan is the largest potash producer in the world, typically accounting for 30 per cent of total production and hosting roughly half of the globe's potash reserves. The province's existing potash producers have committed to more than $13 billion worth of expansions to their existing mines.

The province is one of the world's largest uranium producers, accounting for almost 20 per cent of primary global production.

Two new gold mines opened in 2011 and new uranium, potash and gold mine projects are in various stages of development. Saskatchewan has a variety of other minerals including diamonds, coal, silica sand, base metals, clays, platinum group metals, rare earth elements and sodium sulphate.

The SMA has identified that 15,000 new workers will be needed over the next decade to replace retiring workers and keep up with the demands of a growing industry.

To address that challenge, the SMA and Enterprise Saskatchewan hosted a major recruitment event at PDAC on Tuesday, working with a number of mining companies that will directly recruit at the event.