Critical minerals provide the building blocks for many modern technologies and are essential to national security and economic prosperity. That’s according to a White House Fact Sheet quoted in Saskatchewan’s Critical Minerals Strategy released today (Mon). The strategy has four goals: to increase Saskatchewan’s share of Canadian mineral exploration spending to 15 per cent by 2030, to double the number of critical minerals being produced by 2030, to grow Saskatchewan’s production of potash, uranium and helium, and to establish Saskatchewan as a rare earth element hub.

Energy and Resources Minister Jim Reiter says Saskatchewan has 23 of the 31 minerals listed on the Canadian critical minerals list. He believes they will be a key economic driver for Saskatchewan as the world moves more toward battery power, with explorers and developers ready to meet the surging demand around the world. Reiter adds that Saskatchewan is also the top choice geo-politically. He gives the example of Russia, which is a significant producer of Uranium, but with the invasion of Ukraine most countries would prefer to do business with a safe, reliable partner which also takes into account the environment.

The President and CEO Murchison Minerals, Troy Boisjoli, describes his company as an exploration and development company focused on critical minerals in northern Saskatchewan. He believes the critical minerals strategy will increase investment in Saskatchewan which will go directly into exploration, resulting in additional mineral discoveries which means more development-stage projects ensuring Saskatchewan has a continued dominant space in the critical minerals industry globally.

The Premier will be highlighting the critical mineral strategy on his trip to Washington, D.C. He is at the Securing America’s Future Energy Summit tomorrow (Tues) and Wednesday.