Potash mine another step closer

Muskowekwan First Nation is a step closer to having the first on-reserve potash mine. The federal government will develop regulations for the mine under the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act. Gordon Keep, chairman of the board of directors for Encanto Potash, said a feasibility study for the mine, finished at the end of February, found the mine can produce 2.8 million tonnes of potash annually for 50 years. “This is a significant amount of years that we can, through treaty, change the lives of our First Nation and our people,” said Chief Reginald Bellerose. There are a possible 1,000 construction jobs and 400 to 500 jobs when the mine is running. Bellerose would like to see some of the money generated from the mine invested in education, language and culture. Members of the First Nation voted 80 per cent last year in favor of designating land for the project. An environmental impact study is expected to wrap up later this year. Encanto Potash hopes to have the mine up-and-running by late 2016 or early 2017.