A short case study outlining Cameco’s business relationships with Indigenous Peoples in northern Saskatchewan. At the time this was written Cameco, and the Saskatchewan Uranium mining industry, was a global leader in integrating indigenous business and economic development into the overall development of the mining industry in the region.

1. Cameco in Northern Saskatchewan
Case Study ©
© Wayne Dunn & Associates Ltd 2001
info@waynedunn.com
Cameco is the largest uranium producer in the world, with mining activities in Northern
Saskatchewan. Early in the development of these properties Cameco recognized that business
success was inextricably connected to its ability to work effectively with the residents of the area,
ensuring that they received meaningful and sustainable benefits from mineral development.
Northern Saskatchewan has a total population of 38,000 people living in many small communities
scattered over 250,000 square kilometers. Demographically, the north’s population is 75%
aboriginal representing the Woodland Cree, Dene, and Metis Nations. The majority of the
aboriginal population of northern Saskatchewan are treaty Indians (First Nations) living primarily
in communities on treaty reserve lands. The remaining aboriginal and non-aboriginal population
lives in small settlements and villages under provincial jurisdiction.
Cameco’s management knew that failure to work effectively with Northern Saskatchewan
residents would add cost and complexity to all aspects of the permitting and licensing process and
could even undermine the sustainability of the entire industry in the region. People were not
prepared to support the mining development unless it provided them with meaningful benefits
such as employment and business opportunities.
In response, the firm developed a complex array of economic, social and community relations
programs, with a strong focus on employment and business development. Cameco has
facilitated the integration of aboriginal northerners by giving priority to northern hiring, requiring
contractors to meet northern hiring targets, maintaining a seven-day in, seven-day out work
schedule and a network of northern air traffic pick-up points for employees. This system makes it
convenient for northern employees to work in the mines one week and remain in their home
communities the next, often participating in trapping, hunting and other traditional activities when
they are not at the minesite.
By November 1999, 450 aboriginal employees, representing about 45% of the site operations
workforce, made Cameco one of Canada’s leading industrial employers of aboriginal people.
Northern people employed in Cameco’s mining operations collectively earn approximately C$20
million in direct salaries and wages every year, and the majority of this employment income
remains in the north. Salaries are attractive (Cameco employees at its Key Lake minesite average
$56,000 per year including benefits) and most communities have little other permanent wage
based employment.
Cameco has cooperated with various agencies representing federal and provincial governments,
and First Nations and Metis organizations to develop a proactive, long-term labour force
development strategy. In 1999, Cameco invested more than a million dollars in post-secondary
education and training support, scholarships, education awards programs, summer student
employment, science program sponsorships, school site tours, school-based athletic programs and
career information initiatives. All were designed to encourage northern aboriginal children to
stay in school, pursue post-secondary training and consider occupations in the mining industry.
As a result of these efforts, Cameco is beginning to experience substantial gains in the
employment and advancement of aboriginal people in the management/supervisory,
technical/professional and trades occupations. As of September 1999, Cameco directly employed
20 aboriginal managers/supervisors, 42 aboriginal employees in technical/professional
occupations and 40 aboriginal tradespeople.
This case was originally written in
2001 and has been updated to
show procurement in 2011

2. 2
Chart 1 Cameco Northern/Aboriginal Purchases
In addition to employment
Cameco systematically
promotes northern business
development, giving
preferential consideration to
suppliers with northern and
aboriginal involvement.
Volumes of northern
purchases have increased by
880% over eight years,
rising from about C$10
million in 1991 to more
than C$90 million in 1998.
Northern procurement now
represents a very substantial
part Cameco’s total purchases in support of its northern Saskatchewan mining operations.
Northern Resource Trucking (NRT) is one example of a successful northern aboriginal business
nurtured by Cameco’s northern business development strategy. NRT’s 71% aboriginal ownership
consists of nine First Nations and three Metis communities representing the northern Dene,
Woodland Cree and Metis people of northern Saskatchewan. Today NRT employs about 140
people, has annual sales of C$18 million and has a permanent office and transit warehouse in the
north.
Another example is the Mudjatik/Thyssen joint venture, owned by Thyssen Mining Construction
Ltd. and the Mudjatik partnership, a consortium of northern aboriginal partners. In 1999 they
provided over C$39 million in underground mining and construction services to Cameco,
employing more than 100 aboriginal people in some of the highest paid industrial jobs available.
Other examples include Tron Power, wholly owned by the English River First Nation, which had
Cameco contracts worth more than C$9 million in 1999.
Cameco has developed extensive community consultation and involvement procedures and has
even appointed Chief Harry Cook, Chief of the Lac La Ronge First Nation, the largest First
Nation in Saskatchewan, to Cameco’s Board of Directors.
The efforts of Cameco and other northern Saskatchewan mining firms have precipitated a
fundamental shift in the overall development capacity of northern Saskatchewan. The education
level of the area is improving and northern aboriginal peoples have many more professional and
managerial opportunities than ever before. The revenue and associated salaries enables
communities to be more financially self-sufficient and enhances the overall economic capacity.
While, the short-term economic viability of the region is still very dependent on the mining
industry, over the long-term the increased capacity will make it easier to identify and develop
alternative economic activities.
Wayne Dunn & Associates Ltd.
2457 Bakerview Rd. Mill Bay, BC CANADA V0R2P0
Tel: +1.250.743.7619 Fax: +1.250.743.7659
info@waynedunn.com www.waynedunn.com
10.6 16.7 $22.8 $27.9
$44.5 $44.1
$74.5
$93.3
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
P
u
rch
a
ses
in
C
A
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$
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illio
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s
Year
Cameco Northern/Aboriginal Purchases

3. 3
Ten Years Later – an update from 2011
Cameco’s northern procurement has evolved into a Northern Preferred
Supplier Program that has purchased over $1 billion in goods and services
from local vendors and suppliers in northern Saskatchewan since 2004. In
2011, a new record - over $390 million to northern businesses, who provided
74% of all services to our northern mines.