Nutrien Rocanville Mine
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Monday, September 21, 2020 The World-Spectator - Moosomin, Sask. 33 ROCANVILLE 1970-2020 34 The World-Spectator - Moosomin, Sask. Monday, September 21, 2020 These photos show work underground at the Nutrien Rocanville mine. Above is an employee at the mining face in one of the mining rooms. Above right is one of the mining machines at work boring into the potash seam. Right is potash on one of the conveyors that carry the ore to the skip which raises it to the mill at the surface. Congratulations Nutrien Rocanville on 50 years! You are a proven leader in both Industry and in our communities, Noble Construction is proud to have been part of your history and look forward to celebrating many more successes. www.nobleconstruction.ca 306-745-6984 215 SUMNER ST. | ESTERHAZY, SK Monday, September 21, 2020 The World-Spectator - Moosomin, Sask. 35 ‘We are feeding the world through potash and agriculture’ Kevin Weedmark of the World-Specta- sector as we would like to. tor spoke with Saskatchewan Chamber of We’ve added new environmental re- Commerce CEO Steve McLellan about the quirements that make no sense for the 50th anniversary of the Nutrien Rocan- potash sector. We’ve charged royalty rates ville mine. Following is the full interview: that may not make sense when we have an excess of supplies as we do underground. ,WZDV\HDUVDJRZKHQWKHÀUVWUDLO So we’re taking the industry for granted FDU RI SRWDVK OHIW IURP WKH 5RFDQYLOOH and charging them things that make no PLQH+RZLPSRUWDQWZDVWKDWÀUVWPR- sense when we could make more money PHQWWKHVWDUWRIWKDWPLQH" as a province by simply saying ‘hire more That is an interesting question. Obvi- people, keep all the mines open’ and those ously a lot of work went into getting the taxes will generate much more collective mine built and getting to that point. EHQHÀW:H·YHJRWWKHZURQJDWWLWXGHWR- But now we look at the legacy of that ward that sector. moment and all the good that 50-year- The federal and provincial governments old mine has done. It’s amazing. There look at potash and say ‘well they can’t are people whose livelihoods have been move because this is where the potash is,’ made by that mine, and we see second whereas those companies indeed have re- and third generations working there. We duced some of their investment because see the taxes that have been generated by it is more expensive to do business here the employees and the company itself, the First potash produced at Rocanville and there are more jurisdictions in the SHRSOHLQGLͿHUHQWSDUWVRIWKHZRUOGZKR world starting to get their potash out of have eaten better because of the contents It was September 25, 1970 when the first railcar load of potash was the ground without the environmental, of those rail cars. produced at Rocanville. labor, and human rights requirements Everything about it is simply outstand- that we have here. The potash companies ing and we can sometimes be a bit com- mine jobs that are critical. We should be strong. We would not be as well trained. in Saskatchewan perform at the highest placent about potash as we can be around sitting down and saying ‘listen what can The contributions of Nutrien to the com- level. We’re taking them for granted and our ag sector—but we are feeding the we possibly do as the people in this prov- munities that they’re in and the province we shouldn’t be. world through potash and agriculture ince to help you ship more potash because generally is amazing. We see their logo and we can’t take that for granted nor we’ve got lots more than we will ever use. everywhere and it’s because they’re com- :KDWGRHVWKHSURYLQFHQHHGWRGRWR should we. This is a good time to stop and Decades, and hundreds of years of sup- mitted to the province—and that is the HQVXUHDVWURQJIXWXUHIRUWKHSRWDVKLQ- UHÁHFWLWDQGFHOHEUDWHLWDOLWWOHELWEHFDXVH plies—what could we possibly do to get visible dollars. The invisible dollars are GXVWU\" that was a big day 50 years ago. Without more out there, to take advantage of the the tax revenues that have paid for hospi- They need to go to the table with the WKDWÀUVWFDURISRWDVKQRWKLQJHOVHZRXOG fact we have it?’ tal wings without putting a logo in front. companies with a blank sheet and say have come after. :HZRXOGEHDZKROHGLͿHUHQWSODFHZLWK- ‘what can we do to get you twice as busy +RZ PXFK RI D FRQWULEXWLRQ GR \RX out them. as you are now?’ +RZLPSRUWDQWLVWKHSRWDVKLQGXVWU\ WKLQN WKH SRWDVK LQGXVWU\ KDV PDGH WR That means more people working in WR6DVNDWFKHZDQ" 6DVNDWFKHZDQRYHUWKHODVWKDOIFHQWXU\" :KDW GR \RX VHH DV WKH IXWXUH RI WKH the mines. It means more products being I think it is absolutely fundamental. As +RZGL;HUHQWRIDSURYLQFHZRXOGWKLV SRWDVKLQGXVWU\LQ6DVNDWFKHZDQ" shipped and more people in the world a matter of fact there is an argument that EHLIZHGLGQ·WKDYHWKDWHQWLUHLQGXVWU\" I think it is very bright if we do it right. eating better because of it. we should be taking it more seriously. A That’s interesting to think about. It’s If we take it seriously. The companies are With that sort of a clean slate attitude couple years ago in the provincial budget hard to imagine the scale of the contribu- exceptional. The people that work in and they can start to invest in the future of there were some surprises for the sector tion to this province. The full direct con- run those companies are the best in the this province. It’s not like the companies ZLWKRXWVXFLHQWFRQVXOWDWLRQLQWHUPVRI tribution to tax alone, the number of jobs, world and the product that we have is the don’t want to pay any taxes or don’t want their tax and royalty structure, and I think the number of high schools that have been best in the world, and our capacity to get to play by any environmental or human it was unfair. built with those tax dollars, the number it to where it needs to go is the best in the rights rules—that’s not the case, but they I think we should be looking at that of college educations that have been paid world. The problem we have and the only need an open book and that’s the opportu- as an opportunity to build more jobs, to for, the number of universities that have stumbling block I would argue in keep- nity we haven’t taken, haven’t give them. build more communities around those been paid for with the tax revenue that ing us from getting more volume out of Instead of that, what do we do? We sur- mines, and of course for every mine work- goes through the province to the universi- the province is the fact that our regulatory prise them the day before the provincial er there is a contractor that is doing work WLHV:HZRXOGEHDZKROHGLͿHUHQWSURY- environment—federal and provincial—is budget with some new costs, which is on those places too—it’s not just the direct ince without potash. We would not be as not working as hand-in-hand with the again taking them for granted. Congratulations! Our sincere congratulations to Nutrien Rocanville on your 50 year anniversary! We’re proud to work with you as your local municipality ROCANVILLE, SK • 306-645-2040 R.M. of Rocanville No. 151 Congratulations Nutrien 306.645.2055 | [email protected] Rocanville on this momentous occasion Thank you for your business over the years! We look forward to many more years of working with you! 36 The World-Spectator - Moosomin, Sask. Monday, September 21, 2020 Above and right, construction on the headframes during initial con- struction of the Rocanville potash mine. Below, a new headframe under construction over top of one of the original headframes when the origi- nal service shaft was converted to a second production shaft, and a new service shaft was developed at Scissors Creek in 2011. Monday, September 21, 2020 World-Spectator - Moosomin, Sask. 37 Celebrating 50 Years Mahindra Roxors are modified for use underground in Saskatchewan mines at Universe Satellite Sales in Rocanville. Universe providing Roxors for mining industry BY KEVIN WEEDMARK FRXSOHOLJKWEXOEVDQGDVSHHGRPHWHUDQG ´:H SXW OLJKW EDUV RQ WKHP :H SXW D FOHVGRZQLQWRWKHPLQH Rocanville’s Universe Satellite Sales is RWKHUWKDQWKDWWKH\·YHEHHQZRUNLQJUH- VFUXEEHU V\VWHP RQ WKH H[KDXVW :H SXW ´7KHEXPSHUVKDYHWREHRͿWKHPZKHQ ÀOOLQJ D QHHG IRU 6DVNDWFKHZDQ SRWDVK DOO\JRRGµ RQWKHWRZKLWFKDQGQRZWKH\FDQDFWX- WKH\SXWWKHPGRZQLQ5RFDQYLOOHµVDLG PLQHV³WKH FRPSDQ\ LV SURYLGLQJ YHKL- +RZPXFKFXVWRPL]DWLRQJRHVLQWRWKH DOO\WRZZLWKWKHPQRZVRZH·UHDFWXDOO\ /DQJOH\´7KH\DUHH[DFWO\LQFKHVLIZH FOHV WR WUDQVSRUW SHRSOH XQGHUJURXQG DW YHKLFOHV" SXWWLQJ HOHFWULF EUDNHV RQ WKHP DV ZHOO WDNHWKHEXPSHUVDQGWDLOOLJKWVRͿZKLFK WKH PDVVLYH SRWDVK PLQHV DW 5RFDQYLOOH ´:H SXW RQ WKH KHDY\ GXW\ IURQW DQG QRZ3OXVWKH\KDYHDOOWKHZDUQLQJOLJKWV PDNHV LW UHDOO\ QLFH IRU WKHP³WKH\ ÀW DQG(VWHUKD]\ UHDUEXPSHUVZHFKDQJHWKHEDWWHULHVLQ RQWKHPDQGZHSXWWKHUHÁHFWLYHWDSHRQ ULJKWLQWKHPDQFDJHDQGGRZQWKH\JRµ 2ZQHU 6WDQ /DQJOH\ VD\V WKDW DV VRRQ WKHPDQGWKHLJQLWLRQFRPHVRXWRIWKHP WKHP:HGRDIDLUELWRIZRUNWRWKHPWR /DQJOH\ VDLG 5R[RU LV SHU FHQW EH- DVKHVDZKLVÀUVW5R[RUKHNQHZWKHYH- :HSXWLQDSXVKEXWWRQVWDUWDQGGRDZD\ PDNHWKHPPLQHUHDG\µ KLQGKLVHͿRUWVWRJHWWKHYHKLFOHVLQWRWKH KLFOH ZRXOG ZRUN IRU WKH PLQHV DQG WKH ZLWKWKHNH\RQWKHPµH[SODLQV/DQJOH\ 7KHEXPSHUV FRPHRͿWR JHW WKH YHKL- PLQHV YHKLFOHVDUHEHLQJPRGLÀHGLQ5RFDQYLOOH ´5R[RU LV ULJKW EHKLQG XVµ KH VDLG WR PHHW WKH SUHFLVH QHHGV RI WKH PLQLQJ ´7KH\·YH DFWXDOO\ KDG RQH RI WKHLU JX\V LQGXVWU\ IURP &DOLIRUQLD RQH JX\ IURP (GPRQ- ´:H KDYH VXSSOLHG RWKHU YHKLFOHV WR WRQ DQG DQRWKHU JX\ IURP 2QWDULR FRPH ZRUNXQGHUJURXQGOLNHWKH.LRWL·VDQG, Proud to serve the local potash industry RXWDQGWKH\DFWXDOO\WRXUHGERWK0RVDLF KDGEHHQDIWHUWKHPDQXIDFWXUHUVWREXLOG (VWHUKD]\DQG1XWULHQ5RFDQYLOOHXQGHU- D YHKLFOH VSHFLÀFDOO\ IRU