Now that a company has found a large deposit of potash, some people in the Sussex area hoping a mine could be next.
Jacques Leblanc says the community is optimistic that potash can produce even more jobs in the area.
"Our folks won't have to go to Alberta,” says Leblanc. “They’ll stay here and be able to spend their money at home which is great for New Brunswick and the community.”
The Millsteam area has been explored before but a mine has never been developed.
This summer, Atlantic Potash drilled test holes, some more than a kilometer deep. The company says it found a seam of potash beneath the surface that is 30 meters thick.
Sussex Deputy Mayor Ralph Carr says the existing potash mine in Penobsquis is one of the pillars of the town's economy.
"This announcement today, you know, it doesn't surprise me, but it's very good news,” says Carr. “You always wonder, is it really going to go, and then when you hear it will go at least one more step forward, we're very excited."
Premier David Alward called the exploration results great news for the province.
"The potential of that project again is multi-billion dollars in investments going forward and new sectors like fertilizer plants going forward as well," says Alward.
Armed with the test results, Atlantic Potash says exploration will continue in the spring of next year, though the company cautions, that if construction of a mine gets the green light, development on the site is still years away.
With files from CTV’s Mike Cameron.
