Our Cory potash mine and the Fusion Maintenance Group recently deployed the first technical crew of all Indigenous tradespeople underground
A challenging project and an inspiring moment.
That’s what a crew from Fusion Maintenance Group experienced at Nutrien’s Cory Potash mine this winter when they realized they were probably the first all-Indigenous technical crew of tradespeople working underground in the history of Saskatchewan’s potash industry.
“Likely in the past there have been times where service providers have had majority Indigenous crews working underground,” says Ryan Kinequon, president/manager, Fusion Maintenance Group. “But to my understanding, this is the first time that there has been a technical crew of all Indigenous tradespeople underground. This is a very proud moment for all of us at Fusion, and especially for these individuals.”
Through its Aboriginal Content Playbook and related initiatives, Nutrien partners with and supports Saskatchewan’s Indigenous communities across the potash business – so Cory general manager Leon Boehm is proud to celebrate the milestone with the Fusion team.
“Fusion has been a regular contractor at Cory since 2015, and they’re a consistently reliable and adaptable partner,” says Boehm. “I want to congratulate the crew, and I’m confident that if this is a first, it’ll be the first of many.”
A sizeable project
The four-person crew – two pipefitters, a welder and a fusing technician – was assembled in the fall to fuse and install 3.7 kilometres of six-inch HDPE pipe underground at Cory – not an unusual task for these professionals, but still a formidable one, says Kinequon.
“All industrial piping work is by nature challenging, because it requires a very high degree of quality assurance and control,” Kinequon explains. “When the environment is underground, there’s also the dust, lighting, existing infrastructure, and operations and congested areas to deal with. We had to make some adjustments along the way, but I’m proud of the way our team rose to the challenges.”
Another Fusion crew – not entirely Indigenous – joined the effort partway through, and the job is now in the commissioning stages.
“I want to commend Neal Jackson – Nutrien’s project manager – for working so well with us. His detailed approach to direction was really a huge part of this project’s execution and how smoothly it was run,” Kinequon says. “I also want to commend our technical team for following the quality procedures outlined and working safely for the entire life of the project so far.” Jackson’s approach is an example of commitment and leadership. At Nutrien, we all have a role to play.
The 411 on Fusion
Founded in 2014, Fusion does construction, project management, and engineering work for the mining, agriculture, public and private sectors. In addition to being president and manager of Fusion, Kinequon – a member of the Daystar Cree Nation – is 51 per cent owner of the company. Fusion is a Certified Indigenous company, and it strives to attract Indigenous employees and to use Indigenous consultants and subcontractors. In 2021, half of its full-time employees were Indigenous, but this number fluctuates due to the cyclical nature of the industrial service industry.
“We’re proud to be a true Indigenous-owned and-operated company that also prioritizes the hiring of Indigenous employees,” says Kinequon.
Still much to do
While he’s encouraged by the progress that companies like Fusion, Nutrien, and some of their counterparts are making in Saskatchewan, Kinequon concedes that there’s still much to do in the area of Indigenous participation in the potash industry and the Saskatchewan economy in general.
“The opportunity that Nutrien and other companies are creating for Indigenous people and companies are real but are still in very early stages,” he says. “Nutrien has grown into a national leader and a driving force to ensure commitment to reconciliation. We look forward to working with companies like Nutrien to build on this momentum in the years to come.”
