SECTION 2: MINETEXT, DRAFT 1___________

Drafted by: Elizabeth Todd Doyle – March 6, 2013Approved by Curatorial/E&I with comments: Revised to incorporate Curatorial/E&I comments:Approved by Advisory with comments:Revised to incorporate Advisory comments:Approved by Steering Committee with comments:Revised with Steering Committee comments:Final sign-off from Curatorial/E&I:

___________

2.0.0 Introduction

Sec_Intro (60 + title)

[title] Deep Growth[body] Canada has the world’s largest potash reserves, but getting to them is no simple task. Mining a mineral located a kilometer below the Earth’s surface takes ingenuity, perseverance, and hard work. From great effort comes great gain: Canadian potash helps grow healthier crops around the world, and feeds us all.[50 words]

___________

2.1.0 Welcome to the Mine

2.1.1 Down Below

L2 [40 words, with speed sign][title] not needed[body] Potash mines form a vast network of tunnels deep underground. To get around, miners and other workers zip back and forth in modified trucks. Because the elevators are narrow, the vehicles must be brought down in pieces, and reassembled down below.[41 words]

A_cap Speed Safety Sign ca. 2000Source: Agrium Inc., Vanscoy Mine

A_cap [lamps]Although potash mines are usually well-lit, miners use helmet-mounted lamps for better visibility and illumination.

A_cap [rack]Up top, lamps are tagged with a miner’s name and kept on a rack. Depending on what lamp is in use, workers on the surface always know who’s down below.

A_cap [helmet and boots]Helmets and boots keep miners safe from rocky ceilings, loose debris, and uneven surfaces.

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 1 of 12

[IA text]Take a helmet and get to work!

2.1.2 A Day in the Life of a Miner

L1 [60][title] Getting Ready to Work[body] Potash mines are busy places, both up top and down below. On the surface, personnel manage operations, including potash refinement, company administration, and transportation. Miners arrive for their shift, get ready, and head to the elevators that will take them down below.[42 words]

L2 [40][title] Tag Board[body] Miners take their tag when they go below and return it when they come back up. In a work place so far beneath the surface, it’s another way to always know who is off-shift, and who is working in the mine.[41 words]

L2 [40][title] Dry Room[body] Mines are hot work places, and miners get sweaty, no matter what the temperature is outside. When they arrive and leave, miners change their clothes and hang them in a dry room so they’re ready for their next wear. [39 words]

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 2 of 12

L2 [40][title] Elevator[body] Elevators take miners from the surface to the potash deposit—a kilometer below ground. The ride can take 15 minutes, and waiting for an elevator to arrive is sometimes the most tedious part of a miner’s day.[37 words]

P_Cap Miners hang their clothes from hoists. Photo: Oliver H. xxx

G1Doesn’t matter if it’s snowing outside—it’s always 26°C down below!

___________

2.2.0 Canada’s Potash Deposits

2.2.1 Where do potash minerals come from?

L2 [40][title] A Canadian Story[body] Western Canada has the largest potash reserves in the world, covering a good part of Saskatchewan—but it’s almost a kilometer below ground. New Brunswick also has significant deposits.

Potash deposits are almost a kilometer below ground. Western Canada has the largest potash reserves in the world, covering a good part of Saskatchewan and a bit of Manitoba. New Brunswick also has significant deposits.

[29 words]

IN: Map

2.2.2 How were potash deposits formed?

L2 [40][title] From Ancient Seas[body] Almost 400 million years ago, much of Western Canada was covered by a large inland sea. When the water evaporated, large deposits of sea salts were left behind. We call these deposits the , called the Middle Devonian Prairie Evaporite formation.[34 words]

2.2.3 How did we find potash?

L2[title] Buried Treasure[body] If potash is located so far below the surface, how did we even know it was there? Surveyors, searching for oil and gas deposits in the 1940s, extracted drilled core samples from the Saskatchewan prairies. Instead of oil, they found potash.[36 words]

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 3 of 12

A_CapCore sample showing potash ca. 2012 Artifact no. xxxxSource: Mosaic Potash Corporation

A_CapSpectrometers identify gamma radiation emanating from potash to assist surveyors in understanding the composition of deep sediment layers.SpectrometerMcPhar, Willowdale, Ontarioca. 1970-79Artifact no. 1997.0532.001

A_CapIn geological exploration, a surveyor taps with the hammer; the geophone picks up the resulting sound waves which indicate details of underground deposits. Hammer & Geophonemanufacturer unknownArtifact no. 1997.0539.001

A_CapNot just to measure earthquakes, portable seismographs record controlled vibrations and can tell a geologist much about the rock layers below.SeismographMinnetech Labs, USAca. 1954-55Artifact no. 1997.0529.001

P_CapGeologists examine potash core samples, date?. Photo courtesy of the Mosaic Corporation.

IA text – to come___________

2.3.0 Making Mines

2.3.1 What are the different kinds of mines?

L1 [60][title] A Conventional Mine[body] The design of a potash mine is quite simple: a number of shafts are bored straight down to the deposit and tunnels—or “drifts”—are dug horizontally from there. The shafts take people and supplies down. They shafts also circulate air and serve as conduits for electrical and communication cables.

Miners grind the potash from the ore face into a gravel-like consistency, which is then brought to the surface via a “skip” moving quickly up a shaft.

[77 words]

L2 [40][title] Another Solution

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 4 of 12

[body] In very deep mines, another method is used. Solution mining extracts potash minerals with heated brine. The brine is pumped into the deposit, dissolving potassium salts, which are brought to the surface for refining.[34 words]

2.3.2 How is a mine built?

L1 [60][title] Building a City, Block by Block[body] The potash deposit is solid rock. Using powerful equipment, miners dig a system of rooms and support pillars in the dense potash deposit, with drifts connecting the working rooms. The plan of drifts, rooms, and pillars looks like a city designed on a grid. Sometimes, a herringbone pattern of galleries is excavated , allowing for different to ensure structural integrity..rock conditions.[57 words]

V_capA look at the cross-section of a potash mine. Video courtesy of Agrium Inc., 2009.

2.3.3 Just avoid the water

L1[title] Just Avoid the Water[body] Saskatchewan’s massive potash reserves were discovered in the 1940s, but were inaccessible because of a 100-metre layer of underground sand and water called the Blairmore Formation. Early attempts to mine the deposits were flooded out.

In the early 1960s, the Blairmore Ring provided the key to unlocking the potential of the deposits.[52 words]

V_capWatch the video to find out how the Blairmore Ring works. Video courtesy of Agrium, 2009.

P_capMiners work to install a series of Blairmore Rings. Photo: [credit unknown]

SPECIAL TEXT [around ring on floor]The Blairmore RingWeight: 28 tonnes100 rings stacked together = a water-tight shaft

G1Freeze the water, dig through it, and then make a watertight collar to seal it. Brilliant! ___________

2.4.0 Mining 101

2.4.1 Potash Mine Life Cycle

L1 [60][title] For the Life of the Mine—and Beyond

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 5 of 12

[body] Potash has been around for millions of years; in Canada, mining it has only occurred in the last half-century. Our deposits will continue to provide us with potash well into the future, but we must operate sustainably.[37 words]

L2 [40][title] Resource location[body] Identifying a good place to make a mine is crucial, taking into account how the deposit lays, drilling factors, where close-by communities are located, and transportation routes. The first step is a feasibility study.

Identifying a good place to make a mine is crucial. Many things need to be taken into account: how the deposit lays, drilling factors, where close-by communities are located, and transportation routes. The first step is a feasibility study.[34 words]

L2 [40][title] Developing the project[body] Everything must be costed out, from custom mine design to reclamation plans.[12 words]

L2 [40][title] Environmental assessments[body] Careful studies reveal the possible impact of mining operations to the environment. Steps to mitigate impacts are put into place.[20 words]

L2 [40][title] Permits[body] Obtaining the proper government permissions allows further development of the mine.[11 words]

L2 [40][title] Digging the hole[body] Finally, work can commence on sinking the first shaft. This involves freezing the Blairmore Formation and sealing the shaft so water doesn’t leak in. [24 words]

L2 [40][title] Developing the mine[body] Everything from constructing rail lines and milling facilities to hiring new personnel must be done before the first skip of potash comes to the surface. [25 words]

L2 [40][title] Running the mine[body] Everyday operations make things run smoothly, keeping the flow of potash coming to the surface, processing it, and shipping it across the world.[23 words]

L2 [40][title] Closing the mine[body] Mining companies are responsible for making sure that mine shafts are correctly and safely sealed, taking care of human resources, and ensuring proper environmental protocols are observed.

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 6 of 12

[27 words]

L2 [40][title] Reclaiming the land[body] After a mine closes, mining companies must return the land to a natural habitat suitable for humans and wildlife alike. [20 words]

2.4.2 Underground City

L2 [40][title] Underground City[body] The potash mines of Saskatchewan are gigantic. Many of them are the size of small cities. Here, Mosaic mines K1 and K2 dwarf the nearby town of Esterhazy (population 2,500).[30 words]

2.4.3 Infrastructure

L1 L2s [60][title] Making the Mine Run[body] Organization is key to operating any business at the top of its game—but it’s extra challenging when everything happens a kilometre underground!

Underground workers descend in an elevator known as a cage and arrive at a vast work area, spreading over many square kilometres.

All mines are equipped with a fleet of modified open personnel carriers or trucks to transport workers to their destinations. These vehicles are important to efficiency and coordination within the large underground operation.

The mining action happens at the ore face. Underground workers can travel up to 16 kilometres through a maze of drift tunnels.

A huge support system is required to ensure mine equipment operates effectively and safely. The underground shop consists of bays for electrical repair, welding, mobile equipment service, hydraulic repair, and even fabrication and assembly. Large equipment cannot be sent underground in one piece. It is dismantled and sent down the shaft in components. All reassembly and testing happens below ground.

The underground warehouse contains materials and supplies required for the operations and maintenance shops.[words]

P_capPhoto courtesy of Agrium Inc. [044 - Agrium Cage.TIF]

P_capPhoto courtesy of the Potash Corporation of SaskatchewanPotashCorp [PCS_0217 - PCS Fleet of Carriers.TIF]

P_capPhoto: Daniel Acker [add’l credit info?]

P_capSection 2: Mine

DRAFT 1March 6, 2013

Page 7 of 12

Photo courtesy of the Potash Corporation of SaskatchewanPotashCorp. [PCS_0428 PCS Underground tunnel.TIF]

P_capPhoto courtesy of Agrium Inc.037 - Agrium Main Shop.TIF051 - Agrium Warehouse.TIF085 - Agrium Welding.TIF

P_capPhoto courtesy of The Mosaic Company [Mosaic_1317.tif]

Pr_cap?

A_capUsed in Agrium’s Vanscoy mine, this point-to-point telephone instantly connects underground operations with the surface level control room.TelephoneViking Electronics, Inc., Hudson Wisconsin2011Artifact no. xxxx

2.4.4 Take a Break

L2 [40][title] Take a Break[body] Who wants to spend their entire lunch break waiting for an elevator? During their 12-hour shifts, miners gather to eat their lunches on sturdy furniture lining old ore faces, or sometimes use their metal lunchboxes for seats. [37 words]

P_capPhoto courtesy of The Mosaic Company

G1 [in lunchbox] Most miners live close to work, so we pack our own lunches.

2.4.5 Communicating with the Surface

L2 [40][title] Hello up there![body] Cell phones can’t get a signal underground, so back-up communications systems are vital for mine safety. Fail-safe pulley systems with bells are a tried and true method of getting the message out.[32 words]

A_cap Signal Code SignManufacturer unknownca. 1979Artifact no. 2010.0065.001

IA 4 [to come]Section 2: Mine

DRAFT 1March 6, 2013

Page 8 of 12

___________

2.5.0 Equipment

2.5.1 How Equipment is Used

6 x L2 [6 x 40][title] Well-Equipped[body] The most significant pieces of mining equipment are the continuous mining machines, the Miners (Borers). These Miners have two or four rotors, weigh two hundred tonnes and are the length of a city bus (try getting that onto an elevator)! They bore into the ore face with bits that leave behind a circular pattern.

Lasers guide the machine and computers determine the best concentration of ore in the vertical space. Each machine can cut up to 635 tonnes of ore per hour.

Alpine Miners are large machines with rotary cutting heads, normally used to create and adjust mining entries.

Scoop Trams, similar to front end loaders, are modified to move freely within rooms with low ceilings. They pick up spillage, deposit ore onto conveyors, and are invaluable for keeping drifts safe and clear. When equipped with forks, they are used in the underground warehouse.

Scaling machines are used to remove loose rock from the back (roof) of the mine.

Drum Miners can be used for production or in rehabilitating travel routes.

[172 words]

Pr_cap [Marietta Miner: ETD – might need additional text, depending on how we handle the drill head]The Marietta Miner drill head bores into the potash ore face.

P_capPhoto courtesy of the Potash Corporation of SaskatchewanPotashCorp[PCS_0221 - PCS Marietta miner]

P_capPhoto courtesy of Agrium Inc.OrPhoto: Daniel Acker [add’l credit?][031 - Agrium Laser or Daniel Acker photo of surveying:’]

P_capPhoto courtesy of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan PotashCorp[PCS_0211 - PCS Alpine Trimmer]

P_capPhoto courtesy of the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan PotashCorp[050 - PCS Scoop Tram w Forks]

P_capSection 2: Mine

DRAFT 1March 6, 2013

Page 9 of 12

Photo courtesy of the Potash Corporation of SaskatchewanPotashCorp[PCS_0208 - PCS conveyor]

P_capPhoto courtesy of Agrium Inc.[0013 - Agrium Drum]

2.5.2 Conveyor Belt

G1 Conveyor belts take the raw potash to the skips, where it’s hoisted to the surface.

___________

2.6.0 Safety

2.6.1 Safety Down Below

L1 [60][title] Safety First[body] Canada’s potash mining is one of the safest industries in the country. Over the past fifteen years in the industry, the average rate of lost time accidents ̶ incidents that cause the absence of an employee from work ̶ is less than one in every 200,000 hours worked. Certification and training of personnel is a big part of mine operations, and Mine Rescue Teams from Saskatchewan’s various mines participate annually in fire, rescue and first aid competitions.[65 words]

L2 [40][title] Central Control[body] Coordination of equipment, workers, ore, transportation, communication, and safety within a vast mine area is a big challenge. With increasing demands and changing technology, mine control centres were developed underground, and later moved to the surface as technology advanced. Today, more than 7000 different alarms help to maintain control in the average potash mine. [54 words]

V_capMinerConveyorMaintenance ShopSkip

IN [mine safety poster, to come]

IA [to come]

2.6.2 Refuge Room

L2 [40][title] Taking Cover[body] Emergencies can happen. When they do, miners have everything they need to cope, from the right training to well-provisioned refuge stations. [21 words]

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 10 of 12

A_cap Breathing ApparatusDrägerwerk, Federal Republic of Germanyca. 1989Artifact no. 2010.0260.001

A_cap Breathing ApparatusDrägerwerk, Federal Republic of Germanyca. 1991Artifact no. 2010.0261.001

A_cap Breathing ApparatusDrägerwerk, Federal Republic of Germanyca. 1991Artifact no. 2010.0261.002

A_cap HoseDrägerwerk, Federal Republic of Germanyca. 1991Artifact no. 2010.0261.003

A_cap Oxygen MaskDrägerwerk, Federal Republic of Germanyca. 1991Artifact no. 2010.0261.004

Pr_cap[once props are determined]

___________

2.7.0 Playing with the Mine

2.7.1 Mini Mine Area

G1 It’s not all work, all the time. Climb inside!

IA [no additional text in this section]

___________

2.8.0 Processing & Refining

2.8.1 Processing Potash

L1 [60]Section 2: Mine

DRAFT 1March 6, 2013Page 11 of 12

[title] A Beginning, Not an End[body] In conventional mining, once raw ore comes to the surface, it must be processed. The ore is usually a mixture of clay, salt and potash. After the potash is separated, it is dried, crushed, and sorted into different granular sizes, depending on its eventual purpose. In solution mining, the potash goes through a similar process, though the end product is often much finer.[63 words]

IAFollow the potash ore through the mill![illustrations and text same as in SPIC panel]

P_capPotash mills are complex structures on the mine surface. Photo courtesy of Agrium Inc.[Agrium Vanscoy Mill.tif]

P_capRefined potash is stored before shipping. Photo courtesy of PotashCorpthe Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan[PCS_0410 - PCS Product Storage.TIF]

P_capHighly skilled workers monitor mill operations. Photo courtesy of the Potash Corporation of SaskatchewanPotashCorp[Potash Corp 1209-3336- Control Room.JPG]

___________

2.9.0 Part of the Community

2.9.1 The Daily Commute

G1 Waiting for elevators. It’s part of the job.

2.9.2 Headframes

L2 [40][title] Icons of the Industry[body] Rising up to 91 metres above the prairieground, towering headframes are all most people see of potash mines. The distinctive towers are located directly over the shafts and house the large hoists that transport the workers in cages and the ore in skips.[43 words]

2.9.3 Around the Mine

IN – infographic; to come___________

Section 2: MineDRAFT 1

March 6, 2013Page 12 of 12