It has been 65 years since potash mining began in Saskatchewan and Nutrien invited media to tour one their mines. Find out more.
But he said the improving market for potash has led to more stability for the industry and those working in it. He has also observed some changes in the mine’s day-to-day operations.
In the early years of his career, potash mining was a physically demanding job. Today, that’s not the case so much, and the change has allowed him to continue his career, Boehm said.
“I am 65 years old, and I am reasonably effective in my job; 25 years ago, I would not have been. A 65-year-old man was not going to work in this industry.”
Boehm said people who leave the Allan mine after a lengthy career these days don’t leave “broken,” a change he obviously likes. He figures he is one of around 20 people in their 60s working at the mine.
Growing up in Allan, Boehm said going to work at the potash mine was not unusual, since around 45 to 50 per cent of the boys who graduated in his year went to work at the mine for at least a year.
“In my Grade 12 year, there were applications at the principal’s office; they got distributed,” he said.
Another big change from those days is that Boehm’s son Justin is working at the mine, too. He’s now a mill maintenance superintendent, but has been working at the Allan mine for 19 years.
Justin also grew up in Allan and said the potash mine was a major presence during those years. He remembers driving by the facility with his dad while going to company events. He jumped at the chance to work there after university.
“It was an easy decision to come back home and try to contribute to a place that’s given so much to the community,” he said.
Working in the potash industry has become a multigenerational family affair for some. Saskatchewan is home to all 10 of Canada’s producing potash mines. Six are owned by Nutrien, which was formed in 2018 when Saskatoon-based Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan merged with Calgary-based Agrium Inc.
In its many decades of operation, the potash industry has provided jobs for thousands of people. In 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, it directly employed 5,800 people who collectively earned $900 million, according to the Saskatchewan Mining Association.
Since coming onboard, the younger Boehm has been part of helping the Allan mine grow its production capacity. Currently, the mine produces four million tonnes of potash per year after various expansions. To achieve this, upgrades were made to boost hoisting capacity along with adding mining machines and improving the infrastructure underground — to name but a few changes.
“That was an amazing project to be a part of,” Justin said.
Like his father, Justin has seen some changes in the Allan mine’s daye-to-day operations during his time there, including advanced process controls and technologies that allow machinery to be remotely operated.
“It’s just great to see how we’ve (been) able to adopt technology over the 19 years I’ve been here,” he said.
His father also welcomes the technology.
“If you can get people away from the active mining face, that’s important,” he said. “If you can improve their air quality and if you can improve the transport quality, those are all good things.”
The growing demand for potash around the world has certainly changed things for the better. Bob said the rate of worker turnover was quite high when he first started at the mine in the early 1980s.
“Nobody stuck it out,” he said.
The senior Boehm attributed the higher turnover rate to a range of factors, including that many industries paid similar salaries for work that did not require people to be underground. The potash industry was also not the most economically stable during this time either, he added.
But he liked seeing his son follow him into the business, since working at the mine has provided a good living for him and his family, he said.
“This has been economically beneficial for our family and that’s important to me: a good job, steady, respect of the workforce are important to me.”
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