Collaboration agreements see $1.6B invested into northern Sask. communities

Stepping foot onto Cameco’s McArthur River mine site for the first time was a bit scary, Bailey Tinker says. However, she found it easy to get to know people and create work relationships and personal friendships. 

“The first day it was easy to talk to people because I also had family and friends there that I already knew before I started working at Cameco, so it made it a lot easier.” 

Tinker, of Pinehouse Lake, started her three-month work placement at McArthur River in June 2023. She then landed a contract at McArthur River and Key Lake that runs through December 2024. 

“I think at my biggest career goal is learning more management and more leadership skills, those are probably my favorite skills that I’ve learned since coming to Cameco,” she says.

Tinker’s work experience placement is just one example of the value Cameco provides to Pinehouse, English River First Nation (ERFN), Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) and the seven Athabasca Basin communities, which include three First Nations and four municipal communities, through our collaboration agreements. 

Since the first agreement was signed in 2012, Cameco and Orano have invested more than $1.6 billion in collaboration with these groups.

“At Cameco, we value our relationships with northern Saskatchewan communities, and we look forward to continuing to build our strong partnerships which are critical to our vision to energize a clean-air world,” Cameco President and CEO Tim Gitzel says.

We proactively address the social, environmental and financial aspects of our business with communities near our operations, particularly in northern Saskatchewan. We also aim to develop and maintain long-term relationships and provide communities with employment and business development opportunities. 

Our pillars are:

• Workforce development: We have developed a large suite of programs, including scholarships and training, in northern Saskatchewan to help community members obtain employment with us.
• Business development: In northern Saskatchewan we use our northern preferred supplier program and direct source strategy to support local northern businesses.
• Environmental stewardship: We encourage local communities to participate in ongoing environmental monitoring activities such as CBEMP and EARMP and project-specific activities.
• Community investment: We support communities by providing funds for infrastructure and programming in every region where we operate.
• Community engagement: By maintaining two-way channels of communication, we meet local communities to keep them informed about our projects and licensing plans and to involve them in our projects and operations.

Highlights from last year include:

• Almost $208 million was invested in northern communities under our collaboration agreements. The bulk of that spending, nearly $159 million, was under business development, such as contracts with preferred northern contractors. Our partnerships with northern businesses are creating skilled workforces and sustainable businesses. 
• We provide scholarship funding for all partner communities. Pinehouse established its program in 2023 and in 2024, 17 students received scholarships for programs. such as nursing, business and automotive mechanics.
• Under the agreements, trusts have been established to receive community investment dollars, and funding decisions are made by the communities which supported initiatives such as Fond du Lac recreation center upgrades, a youth empowerment conference, and a new lunch program in Black Lake. Community trust funds also supported an ERFN cultural camp and a new subdivision in Pinehouse.
• Cameco continues to host community visits with a focus on youth. In August 2023, eight northern community members including youth participated in an educational tour in Saskatoon focused on science, technology, engineering and math, joining a variety of Cameco technical leads.

Cameco also employs community liaisons in its partner communities to help build progress for community members – helping applicants create resumes, or connecting members with new education, training, and employment opportunities. Liaisons also coordinate facility and cultural visits and can provide information on engagement activities.