Released on March 2, 2009
Saskatchewan's rich mineral resource opportunities will command attention this week in Toronto at the most important international event in mineral exploration.
Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd will be promoting the province's mining industry at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention, March 1-4. Saskatchewan will have a major presence at PDAC's trade show and investors' exchange, which in conjunction with the convention is expected to attract more than 20,000 delegates from around the world.
Boyd will co-host a reception Tuesday night with the Saskatchewan Mining Association for current and potential investors in the province, and will hold separate meetings Wednesday with mineral exploration companies, investment analysts and industry associations.
"PDAC bills itself as ‘where the world's mineral industry meets,' and clearly this global marketplace is where a leading mining jurisdiction like Saskatchewan needs to be," Boyd said. "We will be reinforcing with companies and global investors that even with the new uncertainties in world financial markets, Saskatchewan continues to be a province of great opportunities for them in mineral exploration and development."
The province's mining industry is coming off a strong year of activity. While final mineral sales figures are still being tallied for 2008, they are expected to significantly exceed the previous record of $4.6 billion set in 2007. Mineral exploration expenditures will be in excess of $360 million for 2008, setting another single-year record.
Mining is Saskatchewan's third largest industry after oil and gas and agriculture. It employs 25,000 people directly and indirectly, and contributes more than $3 billion annually to the economy in wages, goods and services, taxes and fees.
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For more information, contact:
Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca