Economic impact in Northern Saskatchewan

Cameco promotes economic, social and educational opportunities in northern Saskatchewan. As a result, we are a major economic contributor to the communities near our operations.

Employment and education

Over half of our northern minesite employees are residents of northern Saskatchewan (RSNs), and 70% of the services they use come from northern businesses. Many of these employees and business owners are Métis or First Nations.

In fact, Cameco is the number one industrial employer of aboriginal people in Canada. Recent studies have concluded that for every one aboriginal person Cameco hires, the number of aboriginal people employed in Saskatchewan increases by a total of 2 over time. In total, about 12% of the northern workforce is directly or indirectly dependent on our operations.

Our efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Cameco has been honoured for progressive aboriginal relations three times by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), in recognition of our commitment to recruit, retain and advance Métis and First Nations employees within our organization.

But supporting northern communities goes beyond supporting businesses and creating jobs. It also means investing in the long-term sustainability of the region, through strategic investment in the future.

In September 2011, Cameco donated $1 million to the University of Saskatchewan's International Centre for Northern Governance and Development, matching a $1 million investment from the Government of Saskatchewan.

Cameco's funds will be distributed over five years and will be used for graduate internships, research support, scholarships and distance-learning programs that will make it possible for students to connect and learn through video conference, while remaining at home in their northern communities.

While the immediate benefits are obvious, the potential for helping to change long-term prospects in northern Saskatchewan is what is especially exciting.

Local procurement and capacity building

Cameco has always made collaborating with northern communities and businesses a top priority.

The Purchasing Management Association of Canada (PMAC) recognized Cameco recently for excellence in integrating northern and aboriginal-owned businesses into our supply chain. Cameco gives preference to northern companies (companies that are 50% or more owned by residents of Saskatchewan's north) while maintaining high standards and fair, competitive pricing.

Partnering with and supporting northern businesses makes us a more sustainable company while providing economic growth and opportunity to residents of northern Saskatchewan. In 2011 alone, we procured over $400 million in goods and services for our northern operations from local businesses.

Other benefits to suppliers

Suppliers also benefit from Cameco's investment in tools, technologies and approaches that improve their offering.

For example, Cameco and its air carriers transport over 2,000 employees and visitors to and from remote locations in northern Saskatchewan every year. Pilots must often contend with poor weather conditions and visibility. Through a joint initiative between Cameco and five of its air carriers, many of these pilots now have access to a technology that gives them better visibility and control during landings, and minimizes the frequency of weather-related diversions to other airports.

This state-of-the-art system, GPS/WAAS (wide area augmentation system), allows pilots to approach runways at a lower altitude, delivering a smoother, more gradual descent and safer landings, even when visibility is poor. Used in conjunction with a new type of landing approach, the technology delivers the same results as landing systems used at major international airports, at a fraction of the cost.

Cameco is among the first companies to adopt this technology in Canada making the company, its workers and our local air carrier partners safer.