Northerners Continue To Find Jobs At Mine Sites

Northerners Continue To Find Jobs At Mine Sites

Monday, February 28, 2005 at 15:30

 

 

Government statistics indicate that more northern and Aboriginal are finding employment in northern Saskatchewan mines.

 

Year-end statistics for 2004 show that northerners held 53 per cent of the roughly 2,500 jobs directly related to northern mining.

 

Northerners held 52 per cent of the long-term jobs at northern mine sites.

 

That’s up from the 46 per cent figure recorded in 1994.

 

The government also says 85 per cent of those northerners with the long-term mining jobs were of Aboriginal ancestry.

 

The province says the numbers will be higher once construction at the Cigar Lake operation gets into full swing.

 

There are already 200 northerners involved in the construction effort there — that number is expected to peak at 350 before the mine becomes operational in 2007.

 

As well, Cogema Resources will be increasing its workforce at McClean Lake by at least 70 positions this coming summer with the resumption of open pit mining.

 

Northern Affairs Minister Buckley Belanger says the mining companies and their contractors deserve much of the credit for going out of their way to train northerners.