Ames Construction crews are making an important contribution to the K+S Legacy project

Ames Construction is building the rail spur that will connect the K+S Legacy mine site to Canadian Pacific's rail network. — DesignPics/Thinkstock

The K+S Legacy mine project is Saskatchwan's first new greenfield site in 40 years and will create a link for potash products across Western Canada and to international clients.

Once in production, the K+S Legacy mine will use underground solution mining to extract ore at greater depths than would be achieved using conventional mining methods. The mine is expected to reach capacity by late 2017.

Ames Construction crews were on site to construct a cooling pond, a tailings management area (TMA) and a rail spur that will connect to a future mainline product distribution track. Near the end of last year, Ames completed a diversion ditch and the TMA ponds at the Legacy mine, marking the successful completion of the company’s first major Canadian earthworks contract.

The TMA project required 100,000 metric tons of rip-rap—a key challenge for the team, given the material’s scarcity in the Prairie region. Ames met the challenge by screening rip-rap from a glacial deposit about one hour from the Legacy site.

The company was awarded the cooling pond contract a year later, requiring a TMA schedule revision to allow for more efficient delivery of combined resources. This component of the project requires more than eight hectares (20 acres) of liner materials that include welded HDPE and granular-filled geocell. Ames Construction ensured compliance with limitations on pumping water and disturbing nesting habitats and crop production with careful monitoring and adherence to permitting protocols. The cooling pond is expected to be completed this fall.

The third component of the work involves the rail spur—a track to the future connection between the mine site and Canadian Pacific’s rail network. According to a news release from Ames Construction, the company will complete approximately 20 kilometres of rail that will prepare for a critical distribution connection between the two.

Throughout the scope of the project, Ames Construction was committed to community building in the Legacy mine site area—the project is located in the Treaty 4 First Nations Territory. The company teamed up with the Muscowpetung First Nation to help develop several capacity-building initiatives including a collaboration between the band, local community college and provincial government to offer a six-week heavy equipment operator program for First Nations learners.

Legacy is expected to begin commissioning this summer and production will begin by the end of the year. The project will reach two million metric tons capacity by the end of 2017 and at full capacity will achieve 2.86 million metric tons.