The City of Prince Albert is joining the province's northern communities in celebrating a Canada-China uranium deal that will see increased exports of Canadian uranium.
The new deal will expand upon an existing one and allow for the exportation of uranium concentrate - a product mined in a handful of locations throughout northern Saskatchewan.
"This is good news for the industry," North Central Enterprise Region economic development officer Jonathon Theaker said. "It could mean more jobs for people here in Prince Albert."
Uranium mining company Cameco has a high stake in northern Saskatchewan uranium, with about 25 percent of its northern work force hailing from the Prince Albert area.
"Thirty-five flights a week from Prince Albert transport staff to the northern mine sites. This news means future job security for those employed in the industry," City of Prince Albert mayor Jim Scarrow said in a press release.
Citing the City of Prince Albert's ‘Gateway to the North' status, Theaker said northern success means success here as well, with northerners long known for spending their money in Prince Albert.
There's enough uranium in northern Saskatchewan to keep people employed for a long, long time, Cameco spokesperson Gordon Struthers said.
Canada's largest uranium company, the Saskatoon-based Cameco, has billions of dollars worth of investment in northern Saskatchewan.
The company's largest current effort is a mine at Cigar Lake - a joint effort with AREVA Resources Inc. The mine is currently in development, with a target of mid-2013 for uranium production.
The Cigar Lake effort is projected to double the province's annual uranium production to 40 million pounds by 2018.
Thirty-five flights a week from Prince Albert transport staff to the northern mine sites. This news means future job security for those employed in the industry. - City of Prince Albert mayor Jim Scarrow
Struthers said that about 600 people are currently employed at the Cigar Lake mine during its construction phase, with about 250 people to be permanently employed once the project hits full production.
The new China deal means greater security for existing operations, Struthers said.
"China will become the greatest consumer of uranium in the future," he continued, adding that this makes it a great country to be in company with.
Cameco's first Saskatchewan operation started up in 1975 at Rabbit Lake in northern Saskatchewan, and has since brought in over 182.5 million pounds of uranium, making it the second largest uranium mill in the world.
The Lac la Ronge Indian Band joined the City of Prince Albert in issuing a press release regarding the merits of the new China-Canada deal, Friday.
"This will mean more investment, job opportunities, business development, and community support initiatives that will continue to benefit Saskatchewan's north over the coming years," Lac la Ronge Indian Band chief Tammy Cook-Searson said in the release. "We have many band members and several businesses that serve the uranium mining industry, so we share in their success."
The band owns the Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership - a group with investments in a number of companies that provide services to the uranium mining industry. The group is working hard to combat high levels of unemployment amongst those living in Lac la Ronge, the press release reads.
Uranium is used primarily in the production of nuclear energy, with 441 reactors currently operating worldwide in 30 countries.
