IN THIS ISSUE WINTER 2014 Summary of the Recent Open House Forest of Hope & Surrogate Santa Project NI43-101 Explained Western In The Community THE MILESTONE MINUTE Winter Edition Crossword Puzzle Management Profile Growing Together through the Salt of the Earth www.westernpotash.com
WELCOME TO THE WINTER 2014 EDITION OF THE MILESTONE MINUTE Thank you to all those who attended our Community Open House on November 20th. The Western Potash team was on hand to answer questions and to provide information on the Milestone Project at the Gray Rink. We had a lot of people come out to meet us, ask questions and enjoy a BBQ Dinner. We were happy to meet and re-connect with you all. Above: Members of the Western Potash Team who attended the open house (from Left to Right): Dean Pekeski (Executive VicePresident), John Jesse (Environmental Geoscientist), Angela Aydon (Corporate Communications Manager), Richard Lock (Project Director), Jamie McLennan (Manager - Health, Land and Safety), and Greg Vogelsang (Manager of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs). Below: Misc. photos from the open house
FOREST OF HOPE Western Potash is participating in this years Forest of Hope with all proceeds going to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. The competition involves a donation which allows the participant to decorate a tree. The tree will then compete for best decorated/themed tree. The Western tree is on display with the other entries in the lobby of our office building in Vancouver. The tree with the most votes wins! Win or lose, we are happy to support such a great organization that does so much - especially over the holidays. Below Left: Western Potash Corp. tree in the Forest of Hope Below Right: Gifts donated to Hollyburn Family Services NI43-101 EXPLAINED National Instrument 43 101 refers to Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects Federal Instrument, Provincial Law Facilitates Disclosure The mining industry often makes reference to a document called a NI43-101 report. NI43-101 reporting originated in 2001 in response to mining scandals, principally after the Bre- X gold scandal in the 1990s. This scandal involved inflated mineral resource estimates at a reported gold deposit. After it was determined that the gold samples had been salted with gold dust and the fraudulent scheme became evident, the Canadian Securities Regulators set out to regulate disclosure practices for mining companies in order to protect investors. The Underlying Principals of NI43-101: Standardize language across the industry Full and transparent disclosure Qualified Person involvement All public disclosure covered, oral and written Personal Responsibility for disclosure Prevent fraud NI43-101 reports are prepared by a Qualified Person (QP) who have a geoscience or engineering degree, at least 5 years of relevant work experience, as well as, have a good standing with the Professional Association. Qualified Persons must sign off on the report and take ultimate responsibility for its content. SURROGATE SANTA PROJECT Hollyburn Family Services collaborates with the Synergy Collective Society to provide families in need with personalized Christmas hampers through their Surrogate Santa Project. This year Western Potash supported a single mom with three young boys, two of whom have special developmental needs. The in-house qualified persons at Western Potash for the purposes of NI 43-101 guidelines are: J. Patricio Varas, P.Geo, Dean Pekeski, P.Geo and Greg Vogelsang, P.Eng., P.Geo. The Feasibility Study completed on the Milestone Project is an example of reporting according to the NI43-101 Standards. A Feasibility Study is: Hollyburn Family Services provides quality therapeutic and support services designed to strengthen child, youth and family functioning. Support is provided to strengthen family cohesion, parenting capacity, child development, conflict resolution; integrated case management, foster parent support and training; and services to victims of family and relationship violence. a comprehensive study of a mineral deposit in which all geological, engineering, legal, operating, economic, social, environmental and other relevant factors are considered in sufficient detail that it could reasonably serve as the basis for a final decision by a financial institution to finance the development for the deposit for mineral production (NI43-101 definition)
WESTERN IN THE COMMUNITY As part of its Community Relations Program, the Western Potash staff engages in a variety of activities to raise awareness about the Milestone Potash Project. Recently Greg Vogelsang, Manager of Environment, Community and Regulatory Affairs visited Minot State University s Department of Geology to give a presentation on the geology of Saskatchewan Potash. The presentation also included an overview of the Milestone Project. The discussion on the geology of potash deposits in Saskatchewan was very interesting from the perspective of us who live and work in North Dakota said Dr. Joe Collette, professor of geology at Minot State University. We all know we have a political border separating the United Sates and Canada, but of course borders do not apply to geology, so it was easy to draw interpretations of the geology between Saskatchewan and North Dakota, noted Dr. Collette. Right: Greg Vogelsang, Manager of Environment and Regulatory Affairs giving a presentation at Minot State University WINTER EDITION CROSSWORD PUZZLE Across 3. Coffee 5. Famous Floral Expert 7. Getzlaf s team 9. First female GGoC 11. Injured QB 12. Haste Heavily 13. the gopher Down 1. AKA Richardson s ground squirrel 2. Chocolate milk 4. Don t call him Shirley 6. BB s creation 8. Canadian Mixed Curling Champion Skip 10. Colin James surname If you finish the crossword and want to enter the draw for a prize and/or see the answer key, please e-mail your answers to angela@westernpotash.com (or mail your crossword to our office) and we would be happy to enter you - Good Luck!
MEET THE WESTERN POTASH CORP. TEAM PATRICIO VARAS, P. GEO. PRESIDENT & CEO Patricio Varas is a Professional Geoscientist with over 26 years experience in exploration, project development and corporate management. Pat has worked and collaborated with major, multinational and junior mining companies in exploration and development projects that span North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Throughout his career, Pat has enjoyed the experience of having worked at operating mines, exploration projects from concept inception to discovery, feasibility studies of world class deposits and mine development. Q & A WITH PAT You have been Western s President and CEO since inception, what was it about potash that had you interested in starting a company that focused on exploring for it? We (fellow directors Buddy Doyle and Patrick Power) started to look at potash projects when the price of potash was very high, with contracts reaching around $700 /tonne to over $1000 /tonne on the spot market - it was a very hot commodity. At the time, BHP Billiton began to acquire potash projects. The first one they acquired was in Manitoba near the Rocanville Mine, just across the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border. We then realized that if BHP Billiton, the largest mining company in the world, decided to start a new business in a commodity they had never mined, that some big mining game was afoot. That s when we acquired our first project, near theirs, in Manitoba. What did you like about exploring for potash in Saskatchewan? As compared to working in Manitoba, and also in Brazil where we acquired some exploration permits, Saskatchewan was a much friendlier place to explore. Obviously, with 9 operating mines, and with the huge Tax revenues Potash mining generates, the province has a lot of potash mining experience and is friendly toward investment in that industry. The community at large also understood the benefits of having potash as an important job and wealth generator for the province - everyone was very supportive of our investment. Where are some of the places you explored before starting Western? I have explored around the world for many commodities that include: Iron, copper, precious metals, base metals and diamonds. I have explored all over Latin America, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. I have been fortunate to work with some great teams and to have been involved with the discovery of a now producing Diamond mine in the North West Territories, a brand new Copper and Iron deposit in Chile (that is being prepared for mine development), and of course, the management and discovery of our very own Milestone Potash Project in Saskatchewan. What are you most looking forward to regarding the Milestone project? I can t wait for the day when the project build is completed and we begin production. It would be the greatest accomplishment of my career. Above: Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and Patricio Varas at the Agro Tech 2014 Conference in India
THANK YOU FOR READING THE MILESTONE MINUTE - WINTER 2014 Please feel free to contact us at any time. Head Office: 1400-1111 West Georgia St. Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 4M3, Canada Regina Office: Royal Bank Building Suite 610-2010 11th Ave. Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0J3, Canada www.westernpotash.com info@westernpotash.com T: 604.689 WEST (9378) National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure and Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The in-house qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 guidelines is Dean Pekeski, P. Geo, who has reviewed and approved the contents of this document. The reader is referred to the Company s news releases of 2012 through 2014, and earlier, and its NI 43-101 Technical Report dated November 25, 2013 and other corporate documentation as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including, without in any way limiting the foregoing, its news releases of May 27, 2014, June 20, 2013, June 2, 2013, April 3, 2013 and December 6, 2012 and its Technical Report as filed on November 28, 2013. Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Except for statements of historical fact relating to Western Potash, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking information under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to future financing availability, the Milestone Feasibility Study, timelines for completion of various steps related to the foregoing; and the ability of Western Potash to develop the Milestone Project. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as subject to, intends or anticipates, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, should, would or occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Western Potash to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including: the receipt of all necessary approvals; the ability to conclude a transaction; uncertainty of future production, capital expenditures and other costs; financing and additional capital requirements; the receipt in a timely fashion of any further permitting for the Milestone Project; legislative, political, social or economic developments in the jurisdictions in which Western Potash carries on business; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; and the risks normally involved in the exploration, development and mining business. Although management of Western Potash has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forwardlooking information. Western Potash does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.