The greatest economic development
event in North America since the arrival of Jacques Cartier

The northern half of Saskatchewan is a vast sparsely populated region home to about 18,000 people within 1,000 km x 1,000 km (= 1,000,000 sq km; in terms of people per square kilometre, 55, the area is relatively deserted), and a territory that contains a large part of the resource wealth of Canada.

For obvious reasons it has become a focus attention from many interests for future development, and thus the timely arrival of the Triple Five Energy Group to invest in resource development of the well established energy assets of the province.

The Ghermezians are not the only folks savvy to the potential, which is obvious from the recent federal by-election in northern Saskatchewan won by Rob Clarke of the Conservative Party on Mar 17 08. In fact, three Aboriginal candidates contested the opportunity to represent the riding (Desnethe, Missinippi, Churchill River, in the province of Saskatchewan), and Clarke was the winner.

Clarke told the Access Network near the end of the campaign, "I'm talking human resources, and that's where education comes into play, and where we look is at the trades, how we can get the local northerners access to gain valuable experience in the trades industry, everything from electricians to plumbers to framers."

The new M.P. is a former RCMP officer who was stationed at various posts in the region.

"If this north does take off the way they're saying it's going to take off, there's going to be a shortage of human resources." Clarke speculated, "This area people say it's going to be another Fort McMurray in economic growth and I saw the economic forecast of $83 billion in economic stimulus in Alberta, and $12 billion for Saskatchewan.

“Eventually we are going to get up to the $83 billion or more; we do having mining, we have uranium, and diamonds," and untold billions of barrels of heavy and medium grade crude oil in the ground directly to south. "This is a rich resource-based economic environment," this vast, sparsely populated, undeveloped Canadian shield.

Somebody else who knows about the gigantic untapped resource base in the middle of the country is the Government of Canada, which recently announced a major partnership with the province of Saskatchewan, "and the resource industry,” with the intention to improve Aboriginal training and job opportunities, said a news release.

A well-funded Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) project has been launched to provide training and skills development opportunities for 1,500 Aboriginal people in northern Saskatchewan, and was announced by Hon. Carol Skelton, M.P. for Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, standing in for Hon. Monte Solberg, Min. of Human Resources and Social Development.

Skelton (the Min. of Revenue) was in Saskatoon Mar 14 08, to meet Hon. Rob Norris of the province of Saskatchewan Advanced Education, Employment and Labour ministry, where they announced, "These are training opportunities leading to long-term jobs in the resource sector, including mining, oil sands recovery, mineral exploration and oil and gas exploration."

Cameco corporate head office in Saskatoon hosted the meeting and Cameco is one of several industry partners participating in the project with $33 million in joint funding for a ‘Northern Career Quest Partnership’.

"In Budget 2008, we reinforced our commitment to fostering partnerships involving the private and public sectors that help Aboriginal people get the skills and training they need to take advantage of opportunities in the North and across Canada," said Ms. Skelton. "Together, we can help to ensure that Aboriginal people in northern Saskatchewan have access to the skills and tools they need to reach their full potential."

"This is a good news story about co-operation between government, First Nations and Metis people, the training sector and industry," said Minister Norris. "It will enable First Nations and Metis people to participate in greater numbers and at higher skill levels in northern Saskatchewan's resource industries."

Mr. Gary Merasty, Chair of Northern Career Quest Inc. and Vice-President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Cameco, said, "The co-operation of communities, industry and government has made uranium mining an engine of social and economic progress in northern Saskatchewan. This agreement will help provide First Nations and Metis people with the skills and knowledge needed to benefit fully from opportunities in the North, and ensure progress continues."

Under the Northern Career Quest Partnership, the Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan and other stakeholders, including Aboriginal and industry partners, will provide $15 million, $6.3 million, and $11.8 million respectively, for a total of $33.1 million, to help approximately 1,500 Aboriginal people gain the skills and experience they need.

The federal government informs that the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership is a nationally managed program that provides Aboriginal people with the skills they need to participate in economic opportunities such as northern mining, oil and gas, and hydro development projects across Canada. ASEP's overall objective is sustainable employment for Aboriginal people in major economic industries, leading to lasting benefits for Aboriginal communities, families and individuals.

[Further information states, in 2007, the Government of Canada committed an additional $105 million to the ASEP program, an investment that will result in training for more than 16,000 Aboriginal people and 10,000 new jobs in and around their communities for Aboriginal workers. In Budget 2008, the Government of Canada committed $70 million over two years for measures to foster Aboriginal economic development.]

The timing for new ASEP activity could not be more appropriate, when the following important commitment is factored in regarding an investment announcement by an Edmonton-based company that has negotiated several major agreements with Saskatchewan First Nations. Triple Five Energy has committed to the construction of uranium, oil and natural gas projects, and the organization is a division of Triple Five Worldwide Organization, owned by the Ghermezians, who built West Edmonton Mall.

It is becoming known that Triple Five is a company that is also heavily involved in resource development, and on Feb 13 08, Triple Five Energy signed seven agreements for the development of natural resources, including oil, gas and uranium exploration with the chiefs and councils of a selection of First Nations bands.

“We are pleased to be able to enter into these agreements with Saskatchewan First Nations,” said Nader Ghermezian, chairman of Triple Five. “We believe that these undertakings by Triple Five will be beneficial to the more than 140,000 First Nations members in Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan economy.”

The company discloses “extensive involvement in the development of natural resources in North America,” through Triple Five Energy as well as First Nuclear Corporation, active in the uranium industry for 30 years. “We are also very happy that we have expanded our operations from Alberta into Saskatchewan,” said Ghermezian. “We believe Saskatchewan, like Alberta, will be a global economic leader in the natural resource sector for many years to come.”

A joint venture agreement was signed between the English River First Nation (ERFN) and Triple Five for exploration and development of uranium on the English River territorial lands at Slush Lake, Saskatchewan. Ghermezian said the land assembly for this project is one of the largest in North America and contains the largest deposit of proven uranium.

Geologists and Triple Five Energy staff will begin work in the area shortly, but no time line or total cost has been estimated for the project. The ERFN said they believe that the joint venture will result in economic benefits for their communities. Some in the Saskatchewan construction industry concur regarding discussions about benefits.

“In general, when there is an announcement for a new mine or an agreement like this, it is a very good thing for the construction industry,” said Rob Otway, director of Merit Contractors Association of Saskatchewan. “This is very good for workers, sub trades, suppliers and general contractors as a whole.”

Despite the optimism that surrounds the announcement of the project, Otway noted that some in the construction industry are also a bit cautious. “This bodes well for the future of the industry in Saskatchewan, but it will create the usual problems with labour and finding people to build it,” he said, concerns that are partially addressed by the aforementioned ASEP announcement.

Triple Five is intrigued by the Athabasca Basin in northern Saskatchewan which boasts the highest-grade uranium deposits in the world and is home to the world’s largest uranium mine. The Slush Lake area is on the eastern edge of the mineral-rich Athabasca Basin and is near Cameco Corp.’s Millennium uranium project.

The Saskatchewan government has said the province is the world’s largest uranium producer and is recognized as a long-term, stable source of uranium. In 2006, the province produced 25.6 million pounds of high-grade uranium and production is projected to climb to 41 million pounds by 2011, which is a 60 per cent increase in just five years.