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Saskatchewan has big plans for what lies beneath its soil. 

It’s positioned itself “at the forefront of global critical minerals production.” The province is, in its own words, “a critical minerals powerhouse” at a time when the minerals dubbed crucial to technology and a lower-carbon economy are increasingly sought after.

That’s because, according to the government, it is home to the world’s largest reserves of some critical minerals, including potash — used for agricultural fertilizer — and high-grade uranium, used to produce nuclear energy. 

The conservative Saskatchewan Party government has been busy bolstering the sector, which it dubs “vital for modern living,” during its time in office, offering incentives and a blueprint for extracting more critical minerals in the province. The primary focus outlined in its critical minerals strategy is on the three minerals it already extracts — potash, uranium and helium — but it also wants to increase exploration for 27 of the 34 critical minerals listed by the federal government which exist in Saskatchewan. 

By increasing both production and the money poured into exploration, the government aims to double the number of critical minerals produced in Saskatchewan — from three to six — by 2030 and establish the province as a rare earth elements hub (more on that later). 

To get there, Premier Scott Moe, in office since 2018, is offering a slew of tax incentives, royalty breaks and grants. Both the province and the federal government have also invested heavily in North America’s only rare earth processing facility, which can separate elements into the metals deemed necessary for a lower-carbon economy, including components of wind turbines and many electronics. 

But those investments come with risks and real costs, particularly when it comes to the environmental impacts of mining and exploration that often disproportionately impact Indigenous communities. 

It’s a tension that could grow increasingly taut if the Saskatchewan Party wins as expected in the Oct. 28 election and continues to expand the extractive sector. The other major party in the election, the Saskatchewan New Democrats (NDP) has also shown a similar enthusiasm for the industry (more on that later, too).

What exactly are critical minerals?

Critical minerals are not classified based on any scientific grouping. Heck, they aren’t even necessarily minerals. Rather, the classification — which, to make matters more confusing, can vary from country to country — is based on the mix and mingle of environmental impacts, scarcity, importance of the material for a specific nation, geopolitics and trade. 

Critical minerals are generally materials needed to produce electronics, including cell phones and computers, wind turbines, solar panels and batteries. But some are used for food production (think: fertilizers). New technologies and processes mean lists of critical minerals are ever evolving. 

Canada’s national list of 34 critical minerals includes graphite, lithium, copper and zinc — as well as rare earth elements.

Wait, what are rare earth element?

Lumped into the critical minerals list as a group, rare earth elements are 17 different elements needed for electronic devices and various industrial applications. According to Natural Resources Canada, the biggest use of rare earth elements is in the manufacture of permanent magnets — which are used in everything from speakers to industrial robots to measuring cosmic rays in space. 

Rare earth elements also show up in LED displays, lasers and more. 

China produces 70 per cent of the world’s rare earth elements and 87 per cent of global refined production, but Canada has some of the largest known reserves, according to Natural Resources Canada. 

What critical minerals does Saskatchewan have?

Saskatchewan was the second-largest supplier of high-grade uranium in the world last year, pulling deposits from the north of the province in the Athabasca basin. It also has a massive potash sector, including plans for what the federal government dubs the “world’s most sustainable potash mine.” It’s the largest supplier in the world for the critical fertilizer, accounting for 35 per cent of global production. 

Saskatchewan has also significantly ramped up production of helium — used in everything from balloons to lasers and rockets —  with production up 50 per cent in 2023 from the previous years, according to the province. 

Saskatchewan has reserves of lithium, copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements, with deposits heavily concentrated in the north of the province. This area is also the epicenter of uranium mining and exploration.

Does expanding the mining of critical minerals mean an economic boom is coming for Saskatchewan?

While the Saskatchewan Party is eager to turn the province into a powerhouse of critical mineral production, it remains to be seen whether this will be an economic win.

Kevin Ansdell, a professor of geology at the University of Saskatchewan who researches critical mineral deposits, said the province has an “excellent mix” of critical minerals, but it’s a lingering question how long it will take for the sector to grow and he says most of the 27 minerals on the list include trace metals that won’t be economically viable.

He anticipates the government will meet its target of doubling the number of critical minerals produced in the province, with one mine, McIlvenna Bay, underway that could produce both zinc and copper, and promising pilot projects to remove lithium from deep groundwater. 

The Saskatchewan Research Council facility in Saskatoon produced rare earth elements at a commercial scale for the first time this past summer. The facility is only able to process rare earth elements from a certain type of deposit, but received almost $16 million from the federal government in August to expand its capabilities.

That funding followed a deal brokered by the federal government that allowed the facility to buy a stockpile of rare earth elements mined in Canada — the type the facility cannot yet process — that was destined for China.

In a news release, the province said the facility will produce 400 tonnes of metals per year once it’s fully operational in 2025, which it says is enough to power 500,000 electric vehicles. 

Ansdell said the facility is important and means Saskatechewan is already a rare earth element hub. ”They are way ahead of anywhere else in Canada,” he said.

With a Saskatchewan election around the corner, what might the future hold for critical mineral expansion?

The Saskatchewan Party is keen to highlight the benefits of critical minerals, particularly the economic returns. That’s especially true for the three commodities the province already mines. 

“In 2023, Saskatchewan’s mining industry posted its second-highest sales revenue results on record bolstered by increasing potash and uranium sales volumes,” it says on its website, adding sales exceeded $12 billion in 2023 and spending on exploration was increasing. While in government, the Saskatchewan Party has also expanded financial support to encourage the sector. It increased funding for a grant program for drilling costs from $750,000 to $4 million, and offers incentives for critical minerals processing, including tax credits for exploration. 

The province has also invested $71 million into the rare earth processing facility since 2020. 

Ansdell, however, cautions new mines can take 10 to 15 years to be approved, so production of many of the critical minerals could be a long time coming.

There are also environmental, health and social risks. 

Mining techniques can vary widely and have differing impacts, but can range from an accumulation of tailings and ecosystem disruption to clearing of land which results in loss of wildlife habitat, contamination of air, water and land — as well as health impacts on nearby communities. 

Often, those communities are Indigenous. 

Is Saskatchewan respecting Indigenous Rights in its critical mineral expansion?

Saskatchewan’s uranium is concentrated in the Athabasca basin in the north, where mines have come and gone for decades. The area, plus a large swath heading south from the basin, is covered in mineral claims. 

Candyce Paul, a member of the English River First Nation, told The Narwhal it’s easy to apply for an exploration permit online.

“It doesn’t matter to them if that’s occupied land or traditional lands or you know, seasonal land, they just go in there and explore so they send you a notice 30 days in advance of them coming in.”

Referring specifically to uranium mining, which she opposes, Paul said by the time notices are distributed and people get organized to spread the word, the 30 days are up.

Individual permits are always listed as having minimal impact on hunting and trapping rights, Paul said, but notes it doesn’t address accumulated impacts on the land. 

“It doesn’t protect the land where you practice your rights, it just protects the rights themselves,” she said. 

In communities where there is little to no work, proposals focus on the economic benefits of a mine, and Paul notes there are divisions within the community and class divisions between those who earn a miner’s salary and those who do not. The Saskatchewan government boasts on its website that it is second in Canada “for Indigenous employment in the mining sector.”

Even after a mine operates and then closes, uranium can leave contamination that lasts centuries and Paul isn’t convinced all are shut down properly. 

“How many sacrifice zones can you have on a finite planet?” she said.

As the Saskatchewan election nears, where do the parties stand on critical minerals?

As the Saskatchewan election ramps up, both parties are focused on cost of living issues, including taxes. The Saskatchewan Party and the NDP both disavow carbon pricing, which both frame as a “tax” despite consumer rebates, and promise reduced taxes in other areas and other savings for residents. 

Neither party seems focused on climate or the environment. Unlike in B.C., which is also having an election this month, neither major party in Saskatchewan has released a full platform to date.

NDP MLAs have made it clear they also support the critical minerals industry. 

“We should be punching above our weight and supplying the world with what it needs on this front,” NDP finance critic Trent Wotherspoon told the Canadian Press last year. “Things like environmental assessments are very important, but we need to make sure that we’re doing that in a timely way that allows that investment to be secured and those projects to be advanced.”

Neither party responded to multiple requests for an interview.

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