Saskatchewan=Saudi ArabiaWhen it comes to uranium and potash, Sask has by far and away the richest and largest reserves in the world. Nothing else even comes close. We have a highly educated and skilled work force. We have extensive road, rail and power grids. Comunications are modern. We have a very stable political system, with rule of law being followed. One would think this would be the best kind of jurisdiction for mining, and business in general.
So why are we having our azz's kicked?
1. Many years of sosialist NDP governments. They inherently want to control business, and if they can't control it they discourage it. All this has left a long term hangover of legacy issues. Oil and gas industry, was always one of their "hates". We fell far behind Alberta, yet we have great reserves. They discouraged uranium as well. Remember the resistance and final death of the conversion plant at Saskatoon. Remember the "No Nuke" campaigns, and the election referendums on that? So instead of being an energy "super power" in uranium, we are being driven to our knees by the likes of Kyrgistan, and a few other third world countries with far less reserves.
Sask Gov used to own the potash company here. After many years of gov control, the mines that were producing were run down with obsolete equipment. They required billions in modernization. We sit on an ocean of potash. Yet Russia is calling the shots. Setting the world price, and trying to put our companies under.
2. The new Conservative Gov of last 10 years has done very little to cut regulations and red tape. Very slow permitting policy. Oil and gas has seen much better days and development.
Sask has needed added power generation capacity for a very long time. ( another legacy issue).
A nuclear plant makes absolute sence. A plant has been talked about for 20 years. But nope. A small hydro dam at Nipawin and a couple small nat gas plants is all we have gotten. Oh yeah and some wind mills by Swift Current.
Cameco had to shelve a major project at Rabbit Lake because Sask Power ( yup, gov owned) did'nt have the power to sell them for it.
The world has been in need of a permanent storage facility for spent uranium fuel. Can you imagine the benefits of selling the fuel with the ability to take it back and store it. Every country would only want Sask uranium. But current gov is showing no back bone on this.
3. The "against everything" crowd has been very good at getting regulations in place for everything they hate. They protest against eveything. Put out false propaganda and scare every one. Case in point; the U308 storage idea. In the last few years the proposal has been floated in a number of areas in northen Sask. The amount of protest from groups that instantly appear from thin air is astounding.
All lawyered up, with signage, paper and TV adds, and endless money. Now these communities didnt have these groups before, or the money for the protests. It came from the against everything crowd. The irony of this is that the number one employer for these communities is........wait for it...... yes uranium mining!!!!!!! And now many in these towns are getting laid off. They will run out their insurance benefits, seperation benefits and will end up on welfare. But I guess thats better then a dirty old mine, thats just for greedy people.
My point, is that when it comes to energy, fertilizer, food production, Sask should be in the drivers seat. Making policy, setting the standards for the rest of the world. Instead we are like a hitch hiker thumbing a ride. Leading the world in these areas means many high paying skilled jobs. Happy and prosperous families. Huge revenue to the Gov in royalties and taxs, so better hospital/healthcare, better and cheaper university/ tuition and roads. Higher pay for teachers, police and on and on...
and yes even some money to subsidize wind mills and solar panels.