Sask. mining company with net-neutral goals sets up head office in Saskatoon

A mining company set to construct the world’s first carbon-neutral copper mine has just opened it’s new head office in Saskatoon.

Foran Mining has been operating in Saskatchewan for the past decade, and according to Chief Operating Officer David Bernier, the years have gone by at warp speed

“We want to do things differently,” Bernier said.

Foran is a zero-carbon development company that wants to use proven technologies to design and build a carbon-neutral mine. The company’s McIlvenna Bay project, located about 65 kilometres west of Creighton, is to be constructed to operate at a zero-carbon level with the long-term goal of becoming carbon-negative.

Foran currently mines copper, gold, silver and zinc deposits.

Core deposits displayed at the opening of the new Foran Mining head office in Saskatoon. (Libby Giesbrecht/650 CKOM)

Dan Myerson, the company’s executive chairman, said Foran is focused on the importance of mining sustainability, and takes an approach to the environment that is committed to advancing people, communities, First Nations and building circular economies.

Myerson said it was emotional to see their team in Saskatoon come together so quickly.

“The nature of mining is you’ve really got a lot of work to get done in a very short amount of time, but once it’s done … you’ve got something that can go for close to a century,” Myerson said.

He praised Saskatchewan for its people, leadership and resources.

“I’ve never seen a place … with such a willing and supportive government,” he said. “We believe in doing this the right way.”

Myerson called the current decade a “decisive” one, with immediate action needed to address climate change goals outlined for 2050.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do as a group, as a people, as a province,” Myerson said.

Ken Francis, member of the Standing Committee on the Economy with the Saskatchewan Government, and Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark were both present for the opening of the new head office on Tuesday.

Francis characterized Saskatoon as a burgeoning mining hub, with companies like SSR, Star Diamond, BHP and now Foran establishing offices in the city. He also noted that Saskatoon is surrounded by resources, and is home to world-class research facilities and a skilled workforce.

Francis praised Foran and companies like them for driving innovation and diversification within the mining sector.

In 2021, Saskatchewan’s mining sector generated $8.6 billion in sales. That was the second-highest on record, Francis noted, and was responsible for 12 per cent of the provincial GDP.

With minerals like copper, zinc, nickel and rare Earth elements having considerable potential for increasing global demand in coming years, Francis said there are significant opportunities for Saskatchewan.

The copper Foran will provide could be used for electrical wiring, construction, transportation, renewable energy technology and electric vehicles. Zinc, meanwhile, has many uses in car manufacturing, construction and the electrical industry.

Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said he’s excited about the project.

“As these announcements come down, it’s becoming increasingly clear that what we have in Saskatchewan is absolutely what the world needs,” Clark shared.

Clark emphasized the importance of reducing our environmental footprints and building “strong, shared relationships” with the First Nations and Métis communities.

“I think that everybody wants to know that there is a way forward, that we can do these things in the right way,” Clark said.

Gary Merasty, CEO of the Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies, said the circular economy focus expressed by Foran made his group very interested and very supportive of the mining project.

Merasty said the mine will provide opportunities in underground mining, construction, supplying renewal energy needs and general employment, largely through a First Nations company that’s been around for two decades.