CANADA, May 29 - Released on May 29, 2023

The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed May 28 to June 3 as Mining Week in Saskatchewan, a chance to celebrate the strength of the industry and the hard-working people who support it across the province.  

"This is an exciting time for the Saskatchewan mining industry, coming off another year with record sales numbers and the launch of Securing the Future: Saskatchewan's Critical Minerals Strategy," Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter said. "For the third year in a row, we rank in the top three globally as one of the best places for mining in terms of investment attractiveness, according to the Fraser Institute."*

Building on the momentum of the province's critical minerals strategy, the theme for this year's Saskatchewan Mining Week is "Saskatchewan: A Growing Critical Minerals Hub." The province is home to 23 of the 31 critical minerals on Canada's list. Saskatchewan has an opportunity to contribute to meeting the global demand for critical minerals including potash, uranium, helium, lithium, copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements.

"This year's theme showcases the critical role Saskatchewan mineral production has in the value chain of providing clean energy and global food security through our world-class production of potash and uranium," Saskatchewan Mining Association Board Chair Nathaniel Huckabay said. "Our near-term production of other critical minerals, like copper, lithium and processing of rare earth elements that are essential for the transition to a greener, digital economy is putting Saskatchewan on the map as a growing critical minerals hub."

Saskatchewan has long been a top global producer and exporter of potash and uranium and is now home to a growing helium sector and to the first-of-its-kind, minerals-to-metals rare earth processing facility in North America.

Saskatchewan is a sustainable producer of minerals with a stable regulatory environment, attractive incentives, and highly competitive tax systems that support exploration, mining, processing, and manufacturing. 

Reiter and Huckabay, General Manager of Westmoreland Mining Poplar River Mine and Board Chair of the Saskatchewan Mining Association, will kick off the week this morning at the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon. Events are planned around the province, including presentations on uranium and the nuclear energy market, sustainable mining, growing opportunities, critical minerals, and feeding the future. 

You can find a full list of Saskatchewan mining activities at http://saskmining.ca/.

*Fraser Institute Annual Survey of Mining Companies 2022.

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