CRITICAL MINERALS
“Since starting in 2007, we've been committed to economic reconciliation. We want our Indigenous partners to own hopper cars or spur lines, own the infrastructure and trucks.”
— DAYMON GUILLAS, PRESIDENT OF PADCOM
“It's fine to have a mine, but you've got to get it to market,” he says. That's where Manitoba's northern infrastructure could provide another advantage. PADCOM sees the Port of Churchill as a route for Manitoba pot- ash to reach European markets. “Manitoba potash to Europe is fea- sible due to Churchill,” he says. Churchill is also central to Manitoba's broader mining ambi- tions. The provincial government's plan to triple critical mineral produc- tion includes increasing mineral shipments through the Arctic port, which is already handling potash and zinc concentrate. The company also sees the devel- opment of that supply chain as an opportunity to deepen Indigenous economic participation. “Since starting in 2007, we've been committed to economic rec- onciliation,” he says. “We want our Indigenous partners to own hopper cars or spur lines, own the infrastruc- ture and trucks. Let's all work together to get Manitoba potash up to a million tonnes or more and get it through Churchill. The opportunity is huge.” Realizing that opportunity will require investment and coordination, he says. PADCOM cannot build the entire system alone. “We can't do it on our own,” he says. “It's a national play. We want to grow. We need an equity partnership with Manitoba, Canada — all the parties. It takes some financing and let's ramp this thing up.” That need for investment and partnerships is central to Manitoba's broader mining strategy.
territory,” she says. “There's so much that goes into mining, and we've just scratched the surface.” That understanding of the oppor- tunity extends beyond the resources themselves. For Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM), Manitoba's potash potential is part of a much bigger conversation about food security, supply chains and Manitoba's role as a trusted supplier to global markets. “Potash is a fertilizer that the entire world needs,” says Daymon Guillas, president of PADCOM. “Manitoba has the best quality, the biggest resources and the world wants it.” Potash, he says, is fundamental to food production because it can increase crop yields by an estimated 18 to 22 per cent. As countries con- sider how to strengthen food security, he says, they also need to consider the fertilizer supply needed to pro- duce that food. “Food security is availability and affordability, but if you don't have fertilizer, you have zero food security,” he says. “Countries are realizing we need a fertilizer strategy before a food strategy because you don't have food without fertilizer.” For Manitoba, the opportunity is not simply having potash resources. It is having the ability to think strategi- cally about how those resources can be developed, moved to market and connected to global demand. PADCOM is a small company, but Guillas says its high-grade Manitoba potash could serve markets in Europe, Africa and Asia. The challenge is get- ting the product there.
of course, but also the experience northern communities like ourselves, Kiciwapa (Cree Nation), who have established mining knowledge and are willing to participate in develop- ment,” says Janessa Kosar North, CEO of Kiciwapa Cree Nation. Kiciwapa Cree Nation has devel- oped relationships in various facets of the mining industry, Kosar North says, across exploration, environ- mental monitoring, remediation and workforce development. In doing so, they’ve been able to connect their community with training and employ- ment opportunities, expanding their knowledge and skill sets. “We're proud to say that our members are trained in geophysics, remediation work, water sampling and environmental monitoring. We’re continuing to build those skills and just be meaningfully involved in every project in our
13 WINTER 2026
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