Northern mines lead in Aboriginal involvement

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Northern Saskatchewan has achieved the highest participation rate of Aboriginal people in the mining industry for all regions of Canada, said Graham Guest, information officer at Saskatchewan Northern Affairs.

Out of the 1,075 employees working at mines in the province's northern region, 905 or 84.2 per cent of them are of Aboriginal ancestry. Aboriginal northerners represent 41.34 per cent of the total mining work force, said Guest.

A recent report from Northern Affairs indicates that in 1997, there was $135 million spent by mining companies on contracts, goods and services at northern businesses and joint ventures. Another $20 million was paid out in wages.

"In addition to the workers' salaries being spent in communities, mines are directly spending money with the local businesses by hiring catering companies and purchasing other goods and services," he said.

Guest said these kinds of figures have positive results on both the economic and social growth of the communities.

"The economic spin-offs are just incredible. It has brought tremendous new standards of living to the people of various northern communities."

This wasn't always the case, said Guest. "When I first came here around 15 years ago, most of the mines weren't hiring northerners. They were hiring from the south."

Since then, Guest has seen an incredible economic growth, that has stabilized in recent years.

He said many northerners are pleased with the economic stability that's been achieved through the initiatives of the mining industry, northern entrepreneurs and the provincial government's Northern Development Fund.

"The northern communities have received government funding for development. There has been a series of meetings recently to develop a new strategy that will diversify the north. The premier has visited. The communities are working together with the government to come up with ways to improve the northern communities," said Guest.