Nobody in southeast Saskatchewan, or this province in general, should ever downplay the importance of mining.
We’re blessed in this province to have an abundance of coal, potash, uranium and other minerals. And most people in Saskatchewan know it.
Those in other provinces, who don’t witness first-hand the impact of mining, might try to downplay the value of the sector in Saskatchewan, but we know better.
Mining has an obvious direct impact on the economy, with the jobs it creates and the income it generates through royalties. But there is an even greater indirect impact.
Take coal mining out of the picture in Estevan, Bienfait and other communities, and you’d see fewer residents. That would mean less income for restaurants, clothing stores and other retail businesses. It would mean fewer students in our schools. It would mean less money for non-profit organizations, sports teams and cultural groups.
And it would result in lower revenues for the provincial government, which would mean less money for health-care, education, roads and social services.
The impact of mining is undeniable.
It’s why we need to advocate for the mining sector. Yes, there are lobby groups out there who press the government to support the mining industry. But it’s up to everybody who grasps the value of mining to remind the skeptics of why we need it.
We need to be vocal in our opposition to a carbon tax. Mining is one of a number of valuable sectors in the province that would be punished by this measure.
We need to explain to people why it’s important for SaskPower to continue with its carbon capture and storage technologies. This technology, which can keep coal as a source of power generation, can’t just end with Unit 3 at the Boundary Dam Power Station; it needs to extend to other units at Boundary Dam and other coal-fired generating stations in the province.
And we need to be concerned about the future of coal mining. The federal government has accelerated plans to phase out conventional coal-fired electricity from 2042 to 2030. Twelve years might seem like a long time, but it’s not.
Those who live in this area don’t need to tell our MLA or our MP about the value of mining. They know. But there are a lot of people, including policy makers, who haven’t been to a mine before, or who haven’t been in a mining community before, and don’t grasp the impact that mining can have.
Mining Week is an opportunity each year to say thanks to the men and women who work for mining companies and make a big contribution to the community.
But it’s important for us to remember the impact that mining has on this region throughout the year.
We’re grateful for mining. And we know we’re not the only ones.
