Saskatchewan First Nation sets up highway checkpoint amid $2.2B uranium mine development
Companies, contractors and other industry representatives will also be asked to identify the company they represent, the nature and location of their work, how long the activity is expected to continue and provide company or work-site contact information.
A Saskatchewan First Nation has established a checkpoint along a provincial highway used to access uranium exploration areas as billions of dollars in new mining development moves ahead in the Athabasca Basin.
Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) launched the checkpoint on Highway 955 north of La Loche on Tuesday. Located on CRDN reserve land, the checkpoint sits along the main route into areas experiencing increased uranium exploration.
All travellers passing through the reserve will be asked to check in.
Companies, contractors and other industry representatives will also be asked to identify the company they represent, the nature and location of their work, how long the activity is expected to continue and provide company or work-site contact information.
The move comes as Saskatchewan experiences a major expansion of uranium development.
Earlier this month, Vancouver-based NexGen Energy began construction on its $2.2-billion Rook I Project, an underground uranium mine and mill in the southwestern Athabasca Basin.
Denison Mines also began construction in June on another Athabasca Basin uranium project, which is expected to become the first Canadian mine to use in-situ recovery.
CRDN Chief Teddy Clark said F4 Uranium, F3 Uranium, Standard Uranium, IsoEnergy and Cameco are also active in the region, while mining giant BHP has acquired land and could undertake future work.
The activity is creating employment opportunities for CRDN members, including in heavy equipment operation, environmental monitoring, geotechnical work, housekeeping and cooking.
But Clark said the Nation's openness to uranium development doesn't mean companies will automatically receive its approval.
“We are open to an extent,” Clark said. “We cannot just say yes, go ahead to every, every, every company.”
CRDN says the checkpoint is intended to support safety, environmental oversight, transparency and communication while helping the Nation track industrial activity within its traditional territory.
The Nation says trained, uniformed personnel will operate the checkpoint and insists it is not intended to interfere with lawful travel or responsible industrial activity.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Editor-in-Chief, Alberta Bureau Chief, member of the board of directors, and host of The Gunn Show at Rebel News. Sheila also serves as President of the Independent Press Gallery of Canada. A mother of three and longtime conservative activist, Sheila is the author of bestselling books, including her most recent release, Independence Blueprint: What Alberta Can Learn From Quebec.
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