REGINA — Two new mines are advancing toward construction in Saskatchewan after receiving federal approval earlier this year.
On Feb. 19 Denison Mines Corp. was approved to construct its Wheeler River Project by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). On March 5, NexGen Energy Ltd. received CNSC approval to build its Rook I Project.
According to a release, these are the first Canadian uranium mines to be approved for construction since 2004.
Both Wheeler River and Rook I are located in northern Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, which holds the world’s largest high grade uranium reserves. Combined, the projects will create over 1,600 jobs during construction, employ over 700 people during operation and represent a total estimated investment of $2.8 billion, the release reads.
Saskatchewan’s existing uranium sector is responsible for over 3,300 jobs, including direct employees and contractors. The uranium industry is a major employer of northern and Indigenous workers, the government notes, with 43 per cent of mine site workers being residents of Saskatchewan’s north.