Mining in Saskatchewan: 17 Facts, History & More!

Mining in Saskatchewan: 17 Facts, History & More!

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Key Takeaways

Global Powerhouse: Saskatchewan holds the world's largest potash reserves and accounts for 35% of global production, making it the world's single most important supplier of this critical fertilizer ingredient.

Economic Contribution: Mining contributed 13.5% of Saskatchewan's GDP in 2024, generating over $10.9 billion in mineral sales, $1.8 billion in taxes, and supporting more than 25,000 jobs across the province.

Critical Minerals Hub: Saskatchewan is home to 27 of Canada's 34 critical minerals – including uranium, lithium, and alumina – positioning it as a cornerstone for domestic and international supply chains.

Mining in Saskatchewan Facts History and More

For a province of under 1.3 million people, Saskatchewan is an absolute mining powerhouse. Home to the world’s largest potash and uranium reserves as well as massive deposits of alumina, the province is a pillar of Canada’s multi-billion-dollar mining sector.

From the Athabasca Basin’s high-grade uranium deposits to the potash reserves that make Saskatchewan the top global producer and exporter of the key fertilizer ingredient, the province's mining story is one every Canadian should know. The industry employs tens of thousands of workers, pays billions in taxes and royalties to governments, and is now at the centre of the global critical-minerals conversation as the world races to secure reliable supply chains.

Below, we explore XX facts about Saskatchewan's mining sector that you may or may not know.

17 Saskatchewan Mining Facts

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#1 – Saskatchewan is home to 27 of the 34 critical minerals on Canada’s list, including helium, copper, alumina, potash, and uranium, to name a few [1]

#2 – Mining accounted for 13.5% of Saskatchewan’s gross domestic product (GDP), or economy, in 2024 [5]

#3 – Mineral sales from Saskatchewan mining operations in 2024 totalled more than $10.9 billion, with capital investment reaching $4.5 billion and total procurement from suppliers at $7.8 billion [5]

#4 – Mining companies contributed more than $1.8 billion in provincial, federal and municipal taxes in Saskatchewan in 2024, generating critical revenues for health care, education, and infrastructure development [5]

#5 – Mining companies invested more than $40 million in social and community initiatives in 2024 [5]

#6 – Saskatchewan mining operations procured more than $913 million of goods and services from Indigenous-owned businesses in 2024 [5]

#7 – Saskatchewan’s mining sector employed more than 25,000 workers and paid $1.7 billion in payroll to employees in 2024 [5]

#8 – Saskatchewan’s mining industry employs 11,000 people directly; for every direct career in the SK mining industry, there are at least two careers in the mining supply and service sector [5]

#9 – Saskatchewan is the world’s largest potash reserve holder with an estimated 1.1 billion tonnes of recoverable potassium oxide equivalent (K₂O), reserves so vast that they can supply the needs of farmers worldwide for several hundred years [2]  

#10 – Saskatchewan is home to the largest potash industry in the world, accounting for 35% of global production in 2023 [3]

#11 – Saskatchewan exports 95% of its potash production to markets including the United States, China, Brazil, and India [2]

#12 – Northern Saskatchewan is home to the world’s largest high-grade uranium deposits [3]; the province has the third-largest known recoverable reserves, accounting for 10% of the global uranium resources [4]

#13 – Saskatchewan is also the world’s second-largest producer of uranium, accounting for 24% of global production in 2024 [4]

#14 – Saskatchewan is also the world’s second-largest uranium exporter, accounting for 24% of global exports in 2024 [4]

#15 – A new alumina deposit discovered near Tisdale, Saskatchewan, is said to hold 6.8 billion tonnes of reserves – equivalent to approximately a third of the world’s current known supply of alumina [6]

#16 – Saskatchewan is home to one producing gold mine, the Seabee Gold Operation, situated approximately 125 kilometres northeast of La Ronge; the mine produced 78,545 troy ounces in 2024 [7]

#17 – Saskatchewan’s sole operating copper-zinc mine in Creighton-Flin Flon completed mining orebodies in 2022 and is in the process of decommissioning and reclaiming the former operation [7]

History of Mining in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's mining story stretches back thousands of years, beginning with Indigenous peoples who quarried and traded stone materials across vast North American trade networks. The first written records of mineral occurrences date to 1780, when explorers such as Kelsey and Mackenzie documented them, while gold was first discovered in the North Saskatchewan River near Prince Albert in 1858. Commercial coal mining began as early as 1870 in the Willow Bunch and Cypress Hills areas, laying the foundation for the province's industrial resource economy [1].

The early 20th century brought a wave of base- and precious-metal discoveries that gave Saskatchewan its first major mining operations. A copper-zinc deposit discovered north of Amisk Lake in 1915 led to the opening of the Flin Flon mine in 1932, which operated until 1989. Uranium was discovered in the Beaverlodge District in 1935, with Uranium City becoming the province's mining hub from 1953 to 1982. The Seabee Gold Operation began operating in 1991 and surpassed 2 million cumulative ounces of gold produced in 2024 [1].

Saskatchewan's two most transformational mineral discoveries came in the mid-20th century. Potash was accidentally discovered near Radville in 1941 during oil drilling, with the first commercial underground mine opening near Saskatoon in 1958 and full-scale production beginning near Esterhazy in 1961 – the humble beginnings of what would eventually become the world's largest potash industry. The discovery of increasingly high-grade uranium deposits at Rabbit Lake (1968), Key Lake (1975), Cigar Lake (1981), and McArthur River (1988) all cemented Saskatchewan as the premier uranium jurisdiction on Earth [1].

The Future of Mining in Saskatchewan

The best of Saskatchewan's mining story is still ahead. The province sits on world-class reserves of potash and uranium, and a growing suite of critical minerals the world urgently needs, including a massive alumina discovery in the province's north.

The Jansen Mine, one of the largest private mining investments in Canadian history at over $18 billion, is advancing toward production and will add millions of tonnes of annual potash capacity. Meanwhile, other producers in the Athabasca Basin continue to break production records as global uranium demand surges amid a nuclear energy renaissance. Countries across Europe and Asia are expanding their reactor fleets, and Saskatchewan sits at the centre of the global supply response.

The provincial government's Critical Minerals Strategy is attracting capital at a record pace, with over $7 billion in mining investment projected for 2025 alone [8]. According to the Saskatchewan Mining Association, the province's competitive royalty framework, geological richness, and world-class regulatory environment continue to set it apart from competing jurisdictions worldwide [3].

Indigenous economic participation is also a defining feature of Saskatchewan's modern mining industry. With over $913 million in procurement from Indigenous-owned businesses in 2024 alone [5], the sector is generating wealth for Canadians and building lasting economic opportunities for communities across the province.

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SOURCES:

1 - https://www.canada.ca/en/campaign/critical-minerals-in-canada/critical-minerals-an-opportunity-for-canada.html

2 - https://saskmining.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMA-Potash-Infographic-2025-Final.pdf

3 - https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/agriculture-natural-resources-and-industry/mineral-exploration-and-mining/critical-minerals

4 - https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-analysis/minerals-metals-facts/uranium-nuclear-power-facts

5 - https://saskmining.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Saskatchewan-Minerals-overall-benefits-2025-1.pdf

6 - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/thor-project-alumina-viability-9.7068026

7 - https://saskmining.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SMA-Metallic-Minerals-Infographic-2025-Final.pdf

8 - https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2026/may/07/saskatchewan-mining-sector-delivering-strong-results-and-a-bright-future