busi n e s sC8 Saturday, October 26, 2013 The Saskatoon StarPhoenix • thestarphoenix.com

The STarPhOenix

The Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) new min-eral processing pilot plant in Saskatoon is now up and running.

The pilot plant, announced in the fall of 2012, will sup-port the development and demonstration of new and improved methods for pro-cessing minerals such as potash, uranium, gold, base metals, coal, oilsands and oil shale.

It is also one of the few centres in Canada with an emphasis on rare earth min-erals. It is hoped by enabling the pilot-scale demonstra-tion of new technologies, it will be able to assist compa-nies increase mining yields and decrease associated costs.

The pilot plant, coupled with SRC’s existing mineral processing expertise, labo-ratory and testing facilities, including a new Quantita-tive Evaluation of Miner-

als by SCANning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN) service, allows mining com-panies to access a full range of mineral processing ser-vices.

The plant adjoins SRC’s diamond facilities and Pipe Flow Technology Centre. Operating at a throughput capacity of about two met-ric tonnes per day, the plant can process 400-500 metric tonnes per year for multiple clients and projects.

“The response we have re-ceived to this pilot plant has been encouraging and we are pleased to be able to offer these much-needed services to the mining industry not only here in Saskatchewan but in Canada and interna-tionally,” said SRC president and CEO Dr. Laurier Sch-ramm.

Funding of $1.27 mil-lion was provided through the Canada-Saskatchewan Western Economic Partner-ship Agreement, with SRC providing $930,000 toward the project.

research

sRC opens mineral processing plant

The STarPhOenix

Western Canadian business-es have another avenue of support to help bring their innovative new technologies to market.

The Western Innovation (WINN) Initiative allows small- and medium-sized en-terprises (SMEs) to apply for funding for a variety of tasks related to taking a product from the R & D stage to the market — such as product testing and technology

demonstrations, equipment purchases and installation, regulatory approval, market-ing and intellectual property protection.

Over the next five years, WINN will provide up to $100 million in repayable assistance to SMEs work-ing to commercialize their products, processes and ser-vices.

“This initiative will help address a need identified by western Canadian business-es to help bring leading-edge innovations to domestic and

global markets,” said Mi-chelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification in a news re-lease.

The WINN Initiative, through Canada’s Econom-ic Action Plan, is aimed at smaller firms across a range of sectors, including health and life sciences, clean tech-nology and energy, aero-space and defence, nano-technology and information and communications tech-nology.

The Initiative is expected

to help stimulate greater private sector investment, while also making it easier for innovative SMEs to se-cure funding.

WINN is a five-year, $100 million federal funding pro-gram for western Canadian businesses with less than 500 employees, to commercialize innovative technology-based products, processes or ser-vices.

Under this Initiative, small- and medium-sized en-terprises (SMEs) that have new market-ready, technol-

ogy-driven products and services may be eligible to apply for up to $3.5 million in direct, repayable funding. Eligible project activities for businesses include:

Introduction of a new ■product, process or service to new or existing markets;

Improvement of products, ■processes or services;

Technology development/ ■acceleration;

Product certifications, in- ■cluding Controlled Goods Registration;

Pilot projects (first user) ■

and technology demonstra-tion projects;

Validation of market po- ■tential and end-user accep-tance; and

Support for marketing, ■productivity and process or quality improvement di-rectly related to the commer-cialization of new opportu-nities.

The application intake pe-riod will begin on Nov. 9 and close on Dec. 8. SMEs inter-ested in the initiative can find more information on WD’s website: www.wd-deo.gc.ca.

funding

Federal program helps sMes bridge gap between R & D, marketplace

“Throughout the construc-tion process, it was impor-tant for us to maintain the look of the original building and to ensure it would be pleasing to the local commu-nity,” Lane said.

And there are always un-foreseen glitches that have to be overcome.

“(For example) there is a lot more light coming from the parking lot than what the community had envisioned

so we are looking at ways to cause a dimming of the lighting after such and such an hour,” Lane said. “That’s the kind of feedback we wel-come, because we want to be a good neighbour.”

On Friday local residents, former Wilson School stu-dents and teachers and local business owners were able to come to an open house.

“They have watched the transformation of the build-ing over the last few years and hopefully they will be

pleased with the results,” said Lane.

Miller said these types of projects are great because you are able to save and adapt an important building in the community.

“I would put Affinity’s repurposing and adaptive reuse of that building up against any office building in Canada in terms of adap-tive reuse,” Miller said. “It matches anything in Toronto or Vancouver. It’s a spectacu-lar, one-of-a-kind building.”

Affinity Feedback welcomeCOnTinued frOm C1

With the 5.5 per cent rate hike next year, Watson said SaskPower will generate only a “modest profit” of $27 million in 2014, given the large capital spend in 2013. And even after the three-year rate increase, SaskPow-er rates will be competitive with rates of other thermal (coal and natural gas-fired) power utilities, despite hav-ing the fewest number of customers (three) per kilo-metre of power transmis-sion line in Canada where the average is 12. “SaskPow-er rates are, on average, 18 per cent lower than charged by other Canadian thermal utilities,” he said.

But Cathy Sproule, NDP critic for SaskPower, said if the new rate hike is ap-proved, power bills will end up being more than 38 per cent higher than in 2009. “With such a strong econo-my, it’s frustrating to fami-lies that the government’s Crowns have to turn to Sas-katchewan people to pay more and more,” Sproule said.

Cabinet has the final say on rate applications by Sas-kPower.

SaskPowerCOnTinued frOm C1

RICHARD MARJAN/StarPhoenixOne of two outdoor patio areas created in the redesign of credit union’s head office.

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