Postmedia Saskatchewan
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potash
potash 2015 INDUSTRY REPORT
Important to Saskatchewan... Important to the world
in our province
in our province
Important to Saskatchewan... Important to the world
ON OUR FRONT COVER: PAINTING BY SASKATOON ARTIST AND POTASH WORKER JAMES M. CLOW
inside
The art of potash ......................................................................2 Saskatchewan potash industry in position of strength .................3 Feeding the world: 2015 is the International Year of Soils .............5 Seeking safe refuge when emergencies strike..............................6 Canpotex a global ambassador for Saskatchewan .......................7 International Mineral Innovation Institute advances province’s minerals industry ........................................8 She blazed the trail for women in mining: Betty Ann Heggie ........9
ABOUT THIS CONTENT: These stories were produced by Postmedia Saskatchewan Special Projects to promote awareness of this topic for commercial purposes. Postmedia’s editorial department had no involvement in the creation of this content.
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Continental Mine & Industrial Supply Ltd.
AgriumNourishing a Growing World
1702 Alexandra Avenue Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7K 3C5 Phone: (306) 975-1944 Fax: (306) 975-3998 Website : www.cmiindustrial.ca Continental Mine & Industrial Supply is an application focused business based in Saskatchewan. We specialize in solving tough problems with practical solutions. Our mission is to provide 100% Customer Satisfaction for all requirements relating to the Mining, Construction and Industrial Business Sectors. This will be achieved by partnering with our customers and suppliers to ensure the most cost effe ef ctive solution ranging from retail supply of equipment and components to optimizing standard equipment and ultimately providing a custom designed solution to meet their unique operational requirements.
Agrium is as committed to nurturing communities in which we operate, as we are to growing safe and nutritious food. As one of the world’s largest nutrient suppliers, Agrium is committed to increasing the world’s food supply by helping growers produce more while keeping the earth healthy for future harvests. And generations. Vanscoy Potash Operations
Vanscoy, Saskatchewan S0L 3J0 Phone: (306) 668-4343 Fax: (306) 668-2003
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Tron Reflects New Face of Mine Construction and Services
As a First Nations-owned company, Tron’s relationships with resource companies across Saskatchewan are creating new opportunities for training, employment and economic growth.
While the big numbers associated with large-scale potash projects like K+S’s Legacy mine draw headlines, it is the details that can have the greatest impact on its success – details like budgets, timelines and the reliable delivery of essential services like water. For Tron Construction and Mining, attention to detail and ability to deliver have become the cornerstones of a business development story that has helped them become an integral part of the K+S team on the Legacy project. “Safely completing jobs on time and on budget is vitally important to our clients,” says Tron President Rob Stanger. “We’ve put an emphasis on our processes, preparation and planning. These are complex projects with a lot of moving parts. You need to be adaptable. We’ve identified areas where we can make a difference and are targeting those areas.”
Expanding a First Nations Enterprise Tron is involved in a variety of tasks on Tron is involved in a variety of tasks on the Legacy site – everything from the construction of evaporation vessels at the solution mine to the delivery of potable water and hauling of sewage. It has been an important relationship for Tron, which is owned by Des Nedhe Development, the economic development arm of English River First Nation. The support from K+S has allowed the company to expand its services and opened new doors for training employees. Today, day Tron has more than 200 day, employees, including more than 30 at the company’s head office on the southern edge of Saskatoon. Stanger joined Tron in 2013, bringing more than 30 years in mining construction experience – including a lengthy stint with Cameco where he was involved with process development, regulatory compliance, civil design and major project planning. Tron’s executive team also includes Vice President David Hemeon and Senior
Project Manager Garnet Senger – both who have significant and wide-ranging experience in mining, construction, project management and Aboriginal workforce development. This year the team added Ernesto Petta as a Senior Construction Manager, er bringing er, additional depth to their project planning and management.
Des Nedhe: A Model For First Nations Development
“We have a group with the capacity to plan and oversee multiple long-term projects,” says Stanger. “We have the depth to handle multi-year, ear multi-millionear, dollar projects.”
Gary Merasty, asty the company has been on asty,
A Growing Workforce
a mining supply company that provides
The growth of the leadership team has also fostered growth at other levels of the company. By bringing in experienced, respected industry leaders, Tron has increased its ability to attract workers returning to Saskatchewan, including new recruits to the construction industry and new clients. For a First Nations-owned company that is committed to creating opportunities for Aboriginal workers, the growth opportunities are important. “We have people who can groom younger workers and help them grow,” ow ow,” says Stanger. “We’ve implemented processes and put together apprenticeship programs that will allow people to develop the skills to be successful in our business. And, in the long run, that will improve our ability to ensure our clients and our company are successful. ”Stanger has lofty goals for Tron and says the company’s growth plan is far from complete. “We’d like to double the size of the company over the next few years,” says Stanger. “That’s our goal. We need to look three to five years down the road and maintain focus on development and training. That’s how we’ll build on our current success.”
Tron is a just one spoke in Des Nedhe’s approach to building a financially strong enterprise for English River First Nation. Under the leadership of CEO Alfred Dawatsare and Chief Operating Officer a path of acquisitions and growth with a focus on companies that service the mining sector. Des Nedhe’s holdings include Minetec – industrial materials and supplies to many of Saskatchewan’s mining leaders. As the global commodities market has softened, Minetec has embraced the opportunity to expand its supply range – moving from a focus on underground mining to a broader scope that includes mills, solution mines and construction sites. “As the mining sector changes, it’s important to be agile and adaptable,” says Merasty. “Minetec has been able to do that – filling gaps for large customers with global procurement needs.” Des Nedhe has not limited itself to industrial supply; exploring all opportunities to build relationships in the resource sector. In 2015, it acquired a 51 percent interest in Creative Fire, a Saskatoon-based communications firm that works with a number of companies in the resource sector. It continues to look at additional ways to expand its portfolio and build economic strength. “We believe the resource sector will continue to grow and we want to be a part of that growth,” says Merasty. “To do that, we’re focused on meeting the needs and expectations of our customers. It’s happening brick by brick and we’ll continue to build on that in the years ahead.”
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BUILDING THE FUTURE Tron has been a significant player in Saskatchewan’s mining industry for nearly three decades. We deliver top-quality infrastructure and construction services to a variety of projects and are proud to provide valuable training and employment opportunities to Aboriginals across our province.
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potash
Important to Saskatchewan... Important to the world
in our province
FEEDING THE WORLD:
2015 is the International Year of Soils BY JENNIFER JACOBY-SMITH
DID YOU KNOW…?
POSTMEDIA SK SPECIAL PROJECTS
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oil. It probably isn’t top of mind to most people. But soils are vital to the health of our planet. So vital, the UN General Assembly declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. The purpose is to highlight the importance of soil in feeding an increasing global population. Those who work at Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan – the world’s largest fertilizer company (by capacity) – soil is always top of mind. In fact, it is part of their mission to help the world grow the food it needs. “If you look around the world, the estimate now is 50 per cent of all crops produced in the world are because of fertilizer. That is world crop production would be half of what it is without fertilizer,” said Randy Burton, director of public relations and communications. All over the world soils are becoming more deficient in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Potassium is the active ingredient in potash. By adding fertilizer made from potash, the soil can again become replenished in potassium. Potash can help crops retain moisture and put down strong roots. Trees can benefit from potash with improved fruit texture. “Essentially what potash can do
While not many Saskatchewan farmers use potash directly on their crops, potash is used across the globe to replenish potassium content in depleted soils and create a stronger, more resilient crop. (Photo: PotashCorp)
is you can produce a larger crop, a stronger crop, and one that’s going to be more resilient over time,” added Burton. Saskatchewan produces mostly red potash, though there are some solution-based mines, like the one at Patience Lake, which produce white potash. The composition of the different types of potash are basically the same. It is a small amount of iron ore that gives red potash its pinkish hue. PotashCorp has an agronomist on staff who works with farmers and extension groups as a kind of education arm for the company to explain to farmers what their soil tests look
like and the impact potash can have on their yields. And the impact on yields can extend much further than the farmer’s field, according to Burton. “If you’re producing better crops, you’re producing a better economy. And if you’re producing better economies, you’re producing better communities. And a greater capacity not only for people to feed themselves, but to contribute to their communities.” PotashCorp takes their mandate to bettering communities very seriously. That includes both local communities in Saskatchewan and across the globe. The company has invested in multiple commu-
nity projects, such as the recently opened Playland at Kinsmen Park. Volunteer PotashCorp employees recently delivered 5,000 food hampers to northern Saskatchewan residents displaced by forest fires. Internationally, PotashCorp also works closely with Free the Children, helping people to raise crops and create long term agricultural improvements in the developing world. “It’s interesting. Soil is not something a lot of people think about,” said Burton. “It’s not just about selling fertilizer it’s about finding ways to improve and maintain soil health.”
• Soils help to combat and adapt to climate change by playing a key role in the carbon cycle. • Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production. We need healthy soils to achieve our food security and nutrition goals. • Soils support our planet’s biodiversity and they host a quarter of the total. A tablespoon of soil has more micro-organisms than the whole population on earth. • Soil is a non-renewable resource; its preservation is essential for food security and our sustainable future. Our soils are precious. It can take up to 1000 years to form 1 cm of top soil. • Soils store and filter water, improving our resilience to floods and droughts. • Soils are the foundation for vegetation which is cultivated or managed for feed, fibre, fuel, and medicinal products – www.fao.org/soils-2015.
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potash
Important to Saskatchewan... Important to the world
in our province Seeking safe refuge when emergencies strike BY WENDY LIVINGSTONE POSTMEDIA SK SPECIAL PROJECTS
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nsuring safe conditions in underground mines is at the forefront of planning by Saskatchewan’s potash companies, but emergency situations, such as water inflows and fires, can still occur. Workers may be located up to a kilometer underground, and may be trapped or in danger, particularly if the air has been contaminated with smoke or other chemicals. Escaping to the surface might not be possible, so, in such cases, workers may seek refuge to stay out of harm’s way until the danger has been mitigated. “We have what we call mine refuge chambers,” said Richard Weishaupt, manager of Environment, Health, Safety and Security (EHS&S) at Agrium’s Vanscoy Potash Operations (VPO), referring to sealed enclosures that are used to house and protect workers underground during emergencies. “We have equipment down there, we have fuel down there and lots of machines, so we have the potential for an incident and, because there are a lot of people down there as well, you have to be prepared.” VPO has a total of 26 such emergency stations, says the company’s emergency response coordinator, Ken Ross. There are portable and permanent stations that have been strategically located for that purpose and, when those structures are too distant to reach and an incident or accident happens, machine operators are able to create one of their own by isolating themselves in the area in which they are working. “The first choice would be to get to a portable or a permanent refuge station, but if they need to, they can seal themselves in at the borer and have everything they need there,” he said. The portable stations are the most technically advanced of the three types of refuges. These refuges were at one time considered to be “like a little shack,” but, says Ross, they are now “very expensive, very luxurious.” Agrium VPO recently purchased 16-person portable chambers that measure about 26 feet long and seven feet high and have quarterinch-thick steel outer walls with four inches of insulation “Our new ones have an incredibly heavy-duty structure. They have an airlock with a purge, so if there is smoke in the air, you step into the air lock and it purges the air, and once the purge clears the contaminants, you step into the main part of the chamber. There’s live air-monitoring, so you can see what the air is like outside and inside the chamber; there’s an oxygen supply; there’s a carbon
dioxide scrubber, so that carbon dioxide from your exhaled breath is scrubbed out; and a consistent positive pressure is automatically maintained inside the unit,” said Ross. And, in the newest station, each piece of equipment, such as the blower fans in the carbon dioxide scrubber, is redundant, so that if anything goes wrong it has a backup. The stations are air conditioned and contain first aid supplies, rations, water, automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) and oxygen therapy units if needed to treat an injured worker. Some of the portable stations have the potential to provide safety to the workers for almost twice as long as is required by law. “The minimum regulation is 36 hours, and our portables are capable of going a lot longer than that,” said Ross. These refuge stations represent a high capital outlay, but Agrium’s safety team believes the expense is warranted. “Our newest portable chambers would be, fully outfitted, in the $150,000 range,” said Ross. “They are not cheap, but when people go to refuge, they are in safe refuge − not trapped.” The second option for workers seeking refuge is an in-ground station. These semi-permanent enclosures are located where a large number of workers are expected to be present for extended periods, such as near maintenance areas or at the shafts. These refuges are created by sealing off a large area using a fire resistant, tarp-like material called brattice or, in some cases, a thicker, fire-resistant vinyl-type material. Double walls with an access door are built on each end of the chamber and are
Portable refuge stations at Agrium’s Vanscoy Potash Operations are placed close to where work is being done to provide maximum accessibility to workers. The stations provide clean air and supplies, including first aid supplies, rations, water, automatic external defibrillators and oxygen therapy units. (Photo: Agrium Inc.)
nailed in place with a nail gun and sealed with spray foam, creating an area that is extremely air-tight. If there’s any doubt about whether a station is properly sealed, Ross tests it with a machine designed to test R2000 homes. “It’s amazing how quickly a little fan pressures up that
room. If it leaks, I can tell,” he said. These enclosures also contain supplies that the workers may need. “They have an AED, oxygen therapy, water, food, tools − all sorts of supplies − just about anything you could ever need,” said Ross. The third type of enclosure is the
one that the workers construct themselves. “Obviously, our preference is [for workers] to get to a portable or in-ground station, but, if you are in at the mining machine and the alarm sounds, or you get a call, or you just smell smoke, you might want to do it right then and there,” says Ross. Using a nail gun and tarp-like material, workers seal off the huge room in which they are working to prevent the inflow of smoke or harmful gasses. Supplies, such as water, food, and supplies to build the partitions, are available right on the mining machine that the worker is using. Because the sealed-off area is often very large − sometimes more than a kilometer in length − it is possible to maintain the quality of a great amount of calm air for many hours. In 2014, the value of refuge stations was demonstrated to VPO workers when more than 60 workers used them for protection for 17 hours. “They were glad to have them and had a new appreciation for planning their days and checking to see where the refuge is before they start work each day,” said Ross. “That really makes the point.”
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potash in our province
Canpotex a global ambassador for Saskatchewan BY JEANNIE ARMSTRONG POSTMEDIA SK SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR
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ver the past 43 years, Canpotex Limited has supplied over 205 million tonnes of Saskatchewan potash to 135 customers in 60 different countries around the globe. The international marketing and logistics company sells over 20 grades of high quality Saskatchewan potash exclusively into international markets on behalf of its three shareholders: Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., The Mosaic Company and Agrium Inc. Canpotex President and CEO Steve Dechka anticipates 2015 will be a banner year for the company. “Through the end of the year, we’re forecasting sales of about 11 million tonnes of potash to 35 different countries, which would be an alltime record for us.” Lower commodity prices have increased the demand for potash in offshore markets such as China, India, Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia, says Dechka. Despite fierce competition from international potash producers, Canpotex has succeeded in building and maintaining a loyal customer base that spans the globe. “Our business is really all about relationships,” says Dechka. “To keep those relationships you have to work at it.” Getting established in offshore markets was challenging in the company’s early days. “We didn’t have the U.S. market to depend on. We didn’t have a local domestic market to fall back on, where the
language was the same and the business culture was similar. We were entering markets that were new to a lot of Canadian companies. However, we were committed to working in those markets long term. In the early days, it wasn’t easy. We had to earn their respect, their loyalty and their trust,” says Dechka. “You have to keep your word and deliver the goods, year after year. You have to be consistent and loyal, delivering quality products as promised, at a competitive rate.” It’s also important to recognize the cultural differences that exist in every market, he adds. “Every country is just a little bit different. Learning and understanding that, and keeping that trust and loyalty is key to the success of Canpotex.” To be in close proximity to its clients, the company’s marketing group works from offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai and Vancouver. Canpotex’s corporate head office is located in downtown Saskatoon. The Canpotex team not only travels the world to promote Saskatchewan potash, they regularly welcome delegations of international customers to Saskatoon. “We’ve been doing that for over 40 years,” said Dechka. “This year, for example, from May through October, we expect to host about 200 staff and executives from 35 different companies in Saskatchewan. They will visit our offices in Saskatoon, tour our shareholders’ mines in Saskatchewan and meet with government officials.” In recent years, a new stop has been added to the delegates’ travel
Canpotex President and CEO Steve Dechka welcomes the Chairman and delegates from Zen-Noh, a federation of agricultural co-operatives in Japan, to the company’s headquarters in Saskatoon. (Photo: Canpotex)
itinerary, added Dechka. “We have included a tour of our new railcar maintenance facility in Lanigan on the itinerary. We’re the only bulk shipper in Canada that has its own railcar service facility. Customers are very impressed by that and how committed we are to the supply and logistics end of the business.” Saskatoon isn’t a common business destination for the majority of these executives, said Dechka. “By bringing them here, we are able to introduce them to Saskatchewan and be ambassadors for the province.” First-time visitors to the province find it an eye-opening experience. “They are surprised at how sophisticated Saskatchewan is. They are impressed by the complexity of our shareholders’ mining operations and the logistics systems that we’ve put in place,” said Dechka. Executives also comment favourably on the province’s outstanding education and research facilities and have taken note of the manufacturing ac-
tivity that has developed around the province’s mining industry. Bringing international delegates together with representatives of the provincial government also creates opportunity for new business development in Saskatchewan, such as agriculture-related processing. “We make the introductions, make sure they’re aware of the potential, and see firsthand the leadership, the sophistication, the production facilities, the education facilities and the logistics capacity in our province,” said Dechka, who is co-chair of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Asian investment and trade. “One of the council’s key recommendations was that they take advantage of these initiatives that companies like Canpotex are undertaking and build on that for other development opportunities.” When time permits, Canpotex will also take delegates to visit its stateof-the-art port facilities located in Vancouver, B.C. and Portland, Or-
egon. Four years ago, Canpotex invested approximately C$50 million to upgrade its Neptune Terminals facility in North Vancouver. The company just recently completed a US$140 million expansion of its Portland Terminals facility in Portland, adding a new high-capacity shiploader and high-speed conveyers. A new warehouse is under construction to house specialty grade products. Canpotex is also considering a Greenfield potash terminal at Prince Rupert, B.C., which would give the company three separate gateways and rail lines to the west coast. The high-throughput terminal would boast a 12-million tonne capacity, sufficient to meet the company’s needs over the next three or four decades, said Dechka. “It would be a long-term investment in support of the Saskatchewan potash industry, helping to keep us competitive and better serve our customers.” Dechka is a Saskatchewan boy who pursued a successful 32-year career in the international potash business. His international career path is one that Dechka believes many other home-grown Saskatchewan students and business leaders should emulate. “Ours is a province driven by exports, so we really need to have local business leaders going out into the world to develop and grow their companies and the Saskatchewan economy.” Another Saskatchewan business leader, Ken Seitz, will have an opportunity to do just that when he succeeds Dechka as President and CEO of Canpotex on November 1, 2015.
For over four decades, Canpotex has been the go-to source for Saskatchewan potash for our customers in dozens of countries around the world. This year, we will ship over 10 million tonnes of potash overseas, creating jobs and fueling the Canadian economy. Canpotex’s success starts here at home in Saskatchewan. We are enormously proud of our Saskatchewan roots. Canada’s international reputation for honesty and integrity - the values that run so deep in Saskatchewan – provide Canpotex with an enormous advantage in every new market we enter. And when Canpotex welcomes international customers to our province, as we do many times a year, they always leave trusting that we have the resources, the capabilities and the people to deliver quality Saskatchewan potash to their door. That’s why Saskatchewan means the world to us.
S AS K ATO O N S IN G A P O R E VA N C O U V ER TO K YO S H A N G H A I
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S aturday, S eptember 26, 2015
potash in our province
Important to Saskatchewan... Important to the world
International Mineral Innovation Institute advances province’s minerals industry BY ASHLEIGH MATTERN FOR POSTMEDIA SK SPECIAL PROJECTS
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y the end of this year, over 100 people from all over Saskatchewan will have graduated from programs the International Mineral Innovation Institute (IMII) funded. Executive director Engin Ozberk says he never expected the institute to have such a profound, immediate impact on people’s lives. “These are... unexpected benefits of what we are doing,” he says. “I didn’t foresee this. I wanted research studies to come out, reports to come out, and inventions to be made.” The idea for the institute began in 2007, sparked by a shortage of qualified mining workers in the province. At the time, Ozberk was an executive with Cameco. He and other industry executives connected and reached out to the provincial government and the universities, with the goal of starting an organization that supported Saskatchewan’s minerals industry. Their early research suggested potash and uranium industries in particular simply weren’t receiving the support they needed. “Just imagine,” he says, “this is becoming more and more a province of mining and minerals industry, and when you need a mining engineer, you have to go and try to hire in Ontario or British Columbia, when in Saskatchewan we have two wonderful universities that aren’t graduating mining engineers, and we’re changing that.” The IMII registered as a non-profit entity in 2012. Since then, they have developed seven education and training projects, including an investment of $1.7 million in reactivating the University of Saskatchewan engineering and mining program. The funds helped hire three new faculty members and support them with research and development projects. Working with Saskatchewan Polytechic, they formed the Centre for Minerals Innovation, and they’re working on bringing programs to the Northlands, Cumberland, Parkland and Carlton Trail Regional Colleges. The initial funding is designed to
kick-start the programs − helping to buy equipment, bring in instructors, and build the content − with the goal of the programs becoming self-sufficient. “This is an investment in the rural communities and the northern communities − ones that don’t always have access to this kind of education and training and skills development,” says Marylou Langridge, IMII communications coordinator. “So this is an investment that the mining companies and minerals industry are making in these communities.” The IMII receives 60 to 70 per cent of its funding from industry support and all of the funding companies are represented on IMII’s steering committees. This system puts industry leaders in direct communication with one another, but also in communication with government and education representatives. Langridge says this collaboration is one of the most exciting aspects of the institute. “They each have their own interests from their own organization, but to see them come together and put that on the table, and come up with a solution that works for each of them, within their company, but for Saskatchewan as a whole, and the industry as a whole, is absolutely amazing,” she says. “That kind of opportunity in this kind of collaborative environment didn’t exist before,” says Ozberk. As an industry-driven organization, the IMII tries to provide both the workforce and the research the industry needs to move forward and excel. Current research includes an environmental study about remedying salt-impacted soil, and a study that looks at safety programs at six participating companies, aiming to improve safety culture. They have also invested in the creation of a materials research centre at the U of S, in collaboration with the U of S, the University of Regina, and the Canadian Light Source. The centre will be researching the corrosive aspects of potash and uranium to help develop more durable containment vessels. IMII is also in the process of developing a project concerning hydrogeology − a branch of geology that deals with the distribution
and movement of groundwater. At some point in the future, Ozberk says he would like to see the development of a centre that focuses on the geological aspects of mining operations. Ozberk notes that Saskatchewan has long been a leader in the minerals industry worldwide, and says he sees the IMII’s work as an investment in the prestige the
province already has. “If you don’t renew yourself, if you don’t invest in research and development and education sufficiently, someone else will come and get it,” he says. “This doesn’t mean we weren’t doing well, on the contrary; actually, what we’re doing is, we are trying to make sure that we stay leaders and maybe go further.”
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K+S Potash Canada’s Legacy project
The International Mineral Innovation Institute is funding programs at four regional colleges in Saskatchewan, to prepare people for careers in mining. Pictured here, graduates of Parkland Regional College display their certificates. (Photo: Parkland College)
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ESTERHAZY
COME GROW WITH US! Esterhazy is located in southeast Saskatchewan between the Qu’Appelle Valley and the Kaposvar Valley. It is home to the Saskatchewan Potash Interpretive Centre – the only one of its kind in Canada. The centre has interactive displays showing the history, history development and importance of potash to Saskatchewan, Canada and the world. Due to the large potash deposit in the Esterhazy area – we are also home to one of the largest Potash mine in the world. Mosaic’s Mosaic’ K1, K2 and K3 mines are situated on the outskirts of Esterhazy. Mosaic’s Mosaic’ newest K3 mine is under construction and expects to be producing Potash in 2017.
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Postmedia Saskatchewan
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Important to Saskatchewan... Important to the world
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potash in our province
She blazed the trail for women in mining: Betty Ann Heggie BY HILARY KLASSEN POSTMEDIA SASKATCHEWAN SPECIAL PROJECTS
“What I want to say to people is, never judge your insides by other people’s outsides.” – Betty Ann Heggie
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etty Ann Heggie now has her very own little statuette to hug on lonely nights. As a film lover, she could probably appreciate its Oscar-esque shape and size. But this one is not from the film industry; it’s from the mining industry. Receiving the Women in Mining Canada Trailblazer award came as a surprise to Heggie. She zoomed to the upper eschelons of power at Potash Corp in a 26 year career, unprecedented at the time. She was named top investor relations person in Canada twice, by clients and then peers, and is a member of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame. Not bad for a woman who says, “For much of my corporate career I was the lonely woman in management without a power base.” Since her retirement from the corporate world nine years ago, Heggie has invested considerable energy and passion into her Womentorship Program with the
Edward’s School of Business, and as a speaker and author. “And so I thought, awards are things that are in my distant past!” she says. “To be remembered and to be held up as someone who made a difference in the industry, really was a nice recognition and one that was completely unexpected,” she says. The statue is of a female mine worker. It’s not that huggable, but it definitely came with some warm fuzzies. A comprehensive picture of Heggie emerges from the heartfelt letters of recommendation in her nomination package. Words like authentic, risk-taker, creative, honest, intelligent, pioneer, innovator, socially responsible, thought leader, among others, are threads that form a tapestry called, “trailblazer.” Heggie reflected on the potash years when she accepted her award. She talked about undertaking her first major assignment, a sales presentation. But she was told she couldn’t go to the sales meeting because she would hear swearing. The men needed to blow off steam and wouldn’t feel comfortable swearing with a woman there. “I got that rule changed and I went to the meeting. After that, women went into sales meetings all the time. It became routine and accepted.”
Today, people entering the workplace can’t imagine something like this happening. But Heggie says even now, there’s still much distance to cover, to achieve equality in the workplace. “Women are 50 per cent of the population, we’re more than 50 per cent of the work force, we’re 60 per cent of university graduates, we’re 80 per cent of the buying power and yet we are only two per cent of the CEO’s, 15 per cent of board members and 14 per cent of senior management. So we still have a long ways to go,” she says. Putting a woman on a board, however, does not guarantee she’ll have a voice. Heggie cites recent research on board rooms that reveals some interesting dynamics. While men’s stock goes up when they speak in a meeting, women’s stock, their personal credibility, goes down. “Women know this intuitively and so they tend to sit on their hands and not speak up.” However, this esteem or lack thereof seems to be about perception, more than anything. According to research on boards, when corporations got more women on the board, they reached better decisions, says Heggie. She believes we need more gender inclusive company cultures. Lately though, she’s encountered a few people who wish she would take action in other areas. “I’ve
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chosen a specific market, women that have graduated from university that are out working, but are getting frustrated with the system, and my goal is to help keep them in the system and get them to the decision making table,” says Heggie. Heggie became a trailblazer while remaining authentic and true to herself. She cautions people to “never judge your insides by other people’s outsides. Because it’s easy to look at somebody else and say, “Oh, ‘hasn’t life been easy for her, and it’s all gone smoothly, and isn’t she lucky.’ And that’s just not how it is for anybody.” There are still more trails to blaze! Heggie is traveling to Rome this fall to speak about genderinclusive workplaces. Then she’s back in Saskatoon to kick off the 2015-16 Womentorship Program. Their November alumni event will feature a woman Heggie met while speaking on gender physics in Germany last year.
Recent winner of the Women in Mining Trailblazer Canada Award, Betty Ann Heggie continues to blaze trails in her Womentorship program, as a thought leader in gender physics, and as an author and speaker. (Supplied photos)
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By Feeding Soils, PotashCorp Is Helping Feed the World Food – every year the Earth’s population requires more of it to survive and to thrive. An estimated 95 percent of the world’s food comes directly or indirectly from soils, yet it is a resource that is often overlooked in the quest for food security. Adding to the sense of urgency are estimates that the world’s population will reach nine billion by 2050, an increase of two billion. Fertilizer accounts for 50 percent of the world’s food production and PotashCorp anticipates that fertilizer use will increase over the next decade, with potash use having the highest growth rate among the three primary crop nutrients, about 2.5 to 3 percent per year. “Helping farmers grow the food that the world needs is our mission here at PotashCorp,” says PotashCorp President and Chief Executive Officer Jochen Tilk. “And every year the stakes are getting higher. Our population is growing and people are seeking to improve their diets – there has never been a better time to focus on the importance of healthy soils.” In 2014, PotashCorp sold 9.3 million tonnes of potash, the second-highest total in its history. Sales in the first half of 2015 were similarly strong as the company’s offshore shipments reached a record total. “We are confident in our long-term outlook as we see strong potential in the emerging potash markets, especially in Asia and Latin America.” PotashCorp is the world’s leading potash producer responsible for approximately producer, 20 percent of the global capacity of this mineral. The company is nearing the end of an $8.4 billion expansion effort at all five of its Saskatchewan mines, along with the development of a new mine in New Brunswick. In Saskatchewan, PotashCorp’s Rocanville mine is seeing the largest expansion, at a cost of nearly $3 billion.
This project saw a significant milestone achieved earlier this year when workers sinking the new service shaft at the mine’s Scissors Creek site broke through into the underground mine workings. This is the first time a new shaft has been completed in Saskatchewan since 1978, when a service shaft was built at PotashCorp’s mine in Lanigan. “These expansions improve our competitiveness and will help us continue to achieve our best-in-class performance,” says Tilk, who marked his one-year anniversary as CEO on July 1. In addition to building value for shareholders and developing a talented and engaged workforce, one of PotashCorp’s key goals is building strong relationships within the communities where it operates, in order to enhance their quality of life. In 2014, PotashCorp’s community investment program totaled US $26 million, with more than US $14 million targeted in Saskatchewan. The company is on track to invest a similar overall amount this year.
A gift for all ages In Saskatoon, one of PotashCorp’s most visible community investments is already winning hearts, with ticket sales five times higher than anticipated. PotashCorp Playland at Kinsmen Park opened in August after two years of development. While the previous version of Kinsmen Park was a local favorite, the old Ferris wheel, carousel and train ride were beginning to show their age. Partnering with the City of Saskatoon, PotashCorp funded $7.5 million of the $9.5 million cost to renew the park. The new, taller yellow Ferris wheel at PotashCorp Playland is an attention-grabber. The carousel animals all sport a refreshed color scheme and the $1.025 million train, funded by Canpotex and CP takes riders on a longer loop around the park. CP, In addition to the rides, the PotashCorp Playland at Kinsmen Park now includes a large free-ofcharge play area with a variety of activities. Children can zip down a double cable ride, climb up the pyramid tower slide, spin on the Dutch disc or play with water jets, pumps and sluice gates.
“We wanted to create a place where all children could have fun,” says Tilk. “Whether it’s a special outing to go on the rides, or an impromptu stop at the play area, we think PotashCorp Playland will be a favorite place for kids and their families.” To celebrate the park’s grand opening on August 12, PotashCorp hosted a special day for the community. Rides were free and jugglers, facepainters and Disney princesses added to the excitement at the park. Kids also tried their hands at carnival games and took home PotashCorp prizes. PotashCorp volunteers were on hand to help out with the festivities, which also included free popcorn and soft drinks.
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When soils are healthy, economies grow. Soil is the foundation for the global production of food, animal feed, fuel and natural fiber. So the healthier a nation’s soil is, the more crops they can grow. The better their citizens can eat. The more jobs they can create. And the more competitively they can trade. So you see, the soil nutrients we produce help grow more than just crops. They help grow economies. As a result, they help us nourish human potential. Potashcorp.com/Nourish
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