REGINA – A major milestone has been achieved for NexGen Energy Ltd. with the marking of the official start of construction for their Rook I uranium project in northwest Saskatchewan.
An official groundbreaking took place Thursday at the Rook I site located in the Athabasca basin of Saskatchewan, about 160 km north of La Loche.
Among those attending the ceremonies was federal Secretary of State Buckley Belanger, Premier Scott Moe, and former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as leaders from the local and surrounding area.
"Today, we transition from demonstrating what this project will be to delivering it — for the benefit of local communities, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the world,” said NexGen Founder and CEO Leigh Curyer in a statement.
According to the company, the $2.2 billion uranium mine project will be constructed over the next four years. One it is up and running, they say it could produce approximately 30 million pounds of uranium annually.
The project comes at what is considered a boom time for demand for uranium and clean energy all around the world. NexGen Energy points to the project happening at a time when nuclear energy is taking on an increasing role, with electricity demand continuing to grow.
“The world is changing,” said Curyer in a statement. “Artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, electrification, and energy security are driving unprecedented demand for electricity. Nuclear energy has become key to meeting that demand — and with it, uranium has become one of the world’s most strategic resources. This project is also about creating careers, supporting Indigenous businesses, building local capacity, and investing in infrastructure. It is about creating opportunities for young people to build their futures at home here in Northern Saskatchewan."
In speaking to SaskToday, NexGen Energy’s VP of Regional Development Dylan Smart pointed to the years of intense effort that got them to this point.
“I always like to say that good things take time, great things take a little longer,” said Smart.
“The day was really a culmination of years of work planning, permitting, and putting that all together, and really everyone coming together whether that was federal government, provincial government… everyone coming together to celebrate such a milestone.”
Smart said that on the plane ride in, “when the flight attendant said ‘we are now making our final descendant to Rook I,’ I got a little emotional, and I think all of us here that have been working on this for years all did. And it was just such a great day… to showcase what can happen when people come together sharing a vision and in a in a common objective.”
Among the efforts was developing partnerships with the local communities and First Nations. The company said benefit agreements were put in place with all four Indigenous communities identified within the project’s Local Priority Area.
Smart said building that trust with First Nations was an important part of securing the approvals for the project from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, with local Indigenous communities in support of their application.
“When I came to Nexgen one of the first stories that I heard was before Nexgen ever drills the hole into Mother Earth we went to the First Nations first,” said Smart.
“Our approach has always been go in, listen to the communities, listen to the leadership, listen and then from that come back — that's really the basis on on how you can build that trust. Everything we do is ‘always judge us by our actions.’ Trust isn't built overnight. It's built with years of engagement and collaboration and that's something that Nexgen, I truly believe, leads the sector in how we've engaged.”
As for the economic impact of the project, it is estimated by the company it could support 1,400 jobs either directly or indirectly on an annual basis.
“But for northern Saskatchewan and especially the communities, this is an opportunity to not just create jobs, it's to create careers,” Smart said. “We are here to create careers and create that generational impact And really, with the working hand in hand with the communities, you know, we've invested millions of dollars into training programs. Because we know this is going to be a massive opportunity for employment, but it's not just about offering that opportunity. It's about making sure that people are set up for success.”
He said that to date, “we've had over 700 Indigenous peoples from the impacted area go to our training programs, and now that construction started it’s time to execute on that vision.”
According to NexGen’s news release, 300 people are currently working at the site right now. To date more than 575,000 tonnes of aggregate have been crushed and stockpiled by a Clearwater River Dene Nation-partnered business, for up to 50 local jobs.
They also said in their news release that major earthworks and surface infrastructure are advancing at the site, that expanded site accommodations are now complete and occupied, and an initial 3,000-foot airstrip has been commissioned.
It is expected the full 5,840-foot airstrip will be completed by December 2026, with shaft development planned for 2027.
