Contributors : Luke Coupal, Brandon Ziola

The Hanlon Centre was excited to bring Eric Anderson, the resource consultant and host of Rawlco Radio's Propserity Saskatchewan, to talk to U of S students about the international business impact of Saskatchewan's mining industry. The college was also grateful to host Tom MacNeill, President and CEO of 49 North Resources; Bill Johnson, Director of Public Affairs for PotashCorp; David Doerksen, VP Strategy for Cameco; and Reid McDonald, Manager of Operational Research for Great Western Minerals Group. Together, these mining industry gurus shared with the students their perspective on international mining trends and the impact that they have on the Saskatchewan economy.

Each an expert in their own specific mining field, students learned about the ups and downs of Uranium, Potash, and Rare Earth Mineral mining. The students even received tips on how to raise finances internationally to fund mining operations here in Saskatchewan. "Mining is a huge part of the Saskatchewan economy. In fact Potash is the largest export our province has. It alone exceeds our entire agricultural sector as a commodity export. Meeting with these gentlemen is an invaluable opportunity for students looking to impact the Sasktchewan economy in a meaningful way", said Hanlon Centre director Nick Kokkastamapoulos. The impact of the mining industry cannot be overestimated. "The more people understand the importane of [the potash] industry [to Saskatchewan], the better." said Bill Johnson. But the same applies to all mining in Saskatchewan. "Saskatchewan's uranium industry is important to the global energy industry...[Cameco} is growing to meet international demand...this is where Saskatchewan comes into play", said David Doerksen.

The presentation was well received by students and the event filled up rapidly. A partnership between the Hanlon Centre and the Saskatoon Branch of the Canadian International Council brought other local experts to mingle with the students and to discuss what they were learning from the mining experts. "The only way this event could have gone better would have been to give each of the speakers even more time with the students", said Carolyn Aziz, an associate with the Hanlon Centre. "The learning potential at this event was huge."

The Hanlon Centre is happy to be bringing Mr. Anderson back 26 Nov 2012. He will be discussing international trends in oil. He will be joined by Rick Wingate, President and CEO of FNR Asset management; Marvin Romanow, former CEO of Nexen; Doug Wilkins, Senior VP at Gibson Energy; and US Consul-General Peter Kujawinski. Be sure to check out our upcoming events to learn more about this event and others presented by the Hanlon Centre for International Business Studies.