Ochapowace Investing in Silica Sand

Ochapowace Investing in Silica Sand

Thursday, September 16, 2004 at 14:44

The federal government is helping a Regina-area First Nation invest in an 8-million-dollar mining venture in northern Saskatchewan.

A company owned by the Ochapowace First Nation has entered an option agreement to purchase five silica sand leases at Hanson Lake, renewable every five years.

The leases contain a large sand deposit that contains some of the most unique silica sand in North America.

It is also the only deposit of its kind in Saskatchewan.

The company will extract, process, transport, distribute and market silica sand products to the oil and gas industry.

The initiative will eventually create 58 full-time jobs, with preference given to members of the Ochapawace and Peter Ballantyne bands.

The federal government’s contribution is upwards of 2.3 million dollars.