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Mining Week has begun in Saskatchewan, as the province is looking to show off its projects and policies for the industry.

That will include numerous events and announcements between May 28 and June 3.

Jim Reiter, the Minister of Energy and Resources, says that they're looking to represent an important industry. 

"It's an opportunity for us to recognize the big impact that mining has in Saskatchewan and it employs a lot of people. It's a huge part of our economy - potash and uranium alone count for 12% of the gross domestic product of the province. So it's just it's an opportunity to celebrate what the industry has done and the future looks incredibly bright for mining in Saskatchewan."

The province also released a new Critical Minerals Strategy back in March, focusing on some rare elements along with more plentiful resources such as Potash.

"[Minister of Trade and Export Development] Jeremy Harrison and I did that and it has some goals that we've released and a couple of incentives to increase exploration in the province. I mentioned potash, uranium, and helium also being produced, but we've got potential for a lot more of the critical minerals on that critical mineral list you're talking about to be mined in Saskatchewan," said Reiter, "So we're targeting that for the future."

They've got numerous announcements lined up for the week, talking about the province's strategies and steps forward. 

"There's a global uranium nuclear energy market with the Senior VP from ChemCo speaking at the Double Train Regina. The SMA president's going to be in Prince Albert for an event on Thursday, so there's quite a few of them, Nutrien's doing one in Saskatoon."

Reiter is hoping that people come away from the events with a full appreciation for Saskatchewan's mining industry.

"I mentioned I want them to understand what a big benefit it is to our economy and how fortunate we are to have not just potash and uranium. Those are huge, right? And they've been a huge driver for a long time and we see that expanding in the future. We also have the potential for a lot of other minerals as well.

"The Fraser Institute, just a couple of weeks ago, released their survey on mining attractiveness around the world, and it says that Saskatchewan is number one in Canada and #3 in the world, and that's reminding attractiveness and also #2 for potential mining potential. So it shows you kind of we're well situated right now, but we think we can do better." 

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