Supportive communities

To maintain public support for our operations (our social licence to operate) and our global reputation, we need the respect and support of communities, indigenous people, governments and regulators affected by our operations.

We build and sustain the trust of local communities by being a leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Through our CSR initiatives, we educate, engage, employ and invest in the people in the regions where we operate.

For example, in northern Saskatchewan in 2011:

• just over 50% of the employees at our northern mines were local residents (more than 760 residents) and were paid over $43 million in wages
• approximately $390 million was paid to northern businesses, who provided 74% of services to our northern minesites. This is the most that we have ever procured from northern vendors in one year.
• we made nearly 90 community visits in northern Saskatchewan to discuss potential projects at our northern operations and to provide career information to high school students and community members
• we donated over $1.3 million to northern and aboriginal initiatives for youth, health and wellness, education and literacy, and culture and recreation
• we provided $100,000 in scholarships to post-secondary students

Our operations are closely regulated to give the public comfort that we are operating in a safe and environmentally responsible way. Regulators approve the construction, startup, continued operation and any significant changes to our operations. Our operations are also subject to laws and regulations related to safety and the environment, including the management of hazardous wastes and materials.

Our objectives are consistent with those of our regulators—to keep people safe and to protect the environment. We pursue these goals through open and co-operative relationships with all of our regulators. We work to earn their trust and that of other stakeholders by continually striving to protect people and the environment.