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Home My WebLink AboutLakeshore Advance, 2012-01-04, Page 15Sifto Salt mine in GoderlcbrecaOlng WOIIWIS Changing lanes at Town and Country w•doesday, January 5, 2011 • t akeshore Advance 15 Norman De Bono QM! Agency Southwestern Ontario's pounding from early winter • iowstornns has found more fans aid -off workers being recalled the gia tt Sifto Milt mine. Along with skiers and students, freed by frequent snow days, Sifto workers are celebrating a busy winter and the return of 65 laid -off workers, with demand heavy for the road salt produced by the Goderich mine -- soon to be the world's largest by produc- tion volume. "We are really busy - much busier this year than last year," James Vance of the Communica- tion Energy and Paperworkers union, which represents Sifto workers, said Monday. "Bring it on - it has helped us quite a bit," Vance said of the massive storms that dumped more than half a winter's worth of snow on London in mere days. "We have a lot of capacity for production and last Christmas was not a happy one for us. 'this one is" Last January, 80 workers were laid off due to mild winter weather. But demand may increase throughout the winter this sea- son, Vance anticipates. The recall comes as Sifto has invested $75 million in the Imine, mostly in new storage facilities and an enhanced system to get salt to the surface, called a skip- ping system. That will make Goderich the largest salt mine in the world for sheer capacity, hauling nine million tons of salt to the surface compared to the seven million it can haul now. Road salt accounts for about 8O% of the mine's production, with the rest used for business, chemical and industrial applications. There's also a Sifto table salt plant in Goderich separate from the mine, which uses a different production system, workforce and accesses a different part of the same vein of salt, said Peggy 1.andon, spokesperson for Com- pass Minerals in Kansas City, Mo., which owns Sifto. Landon declined comment on the plant's production totals, calling that confidential. But she downplayed the impact of the weather on the recall, saying it began in the fall before the com- pany knew how severe the early winter was shaping up. "We produce salt year-round and ship it for stockpiling months in advance. We intended to bring them (workers) hack all along" Sifto serves the entire Great Lakes basin region, a huge area extending into the i1.S, and Can- ada, supplying large cities with road salt. "it is a wonderful mine for us, well -located to serve customers. We have talented workers there. It has a lot going for it and it has good -quality salt with large reserves," Landon said. The mine works with cities about their salt needs and ships it early in the year so they can stockpile for winter. But demand is already growing as cities eat into their stores, added Vance. "We always hold our breath until we see the weather. This is good for us" he said. In about outs month the mine will stop sending boatloads of salt across Lake iloron, due to the inclement weather, and rely solely on truck and rail, he said. The lake traffic is expected to open again in mid-Nlarch. Landon said the largest salt mint in size is ohne in England that's been mined since 1860. Coolman's darts were blazing Lakeshore Advance Kevin Coolman was on fire as he shot 100 four tithes and a 98 takeout in his first five trips to the board. Kevin also took out one other game and was helped by' Trevor Truemner and Julie Coolman each taking one more out for the Boles & Poles. They bruised the Bananas 4 games to 2. 'Troy Lavier and Mike Rahn each shot one out for the Bananas. 'learn standings are: Jokers 51, Point- ers 49, Bananas 44, Wannabees 42, Demolition 37, Sweet & Toxic 35, We Don't Care 34, Bloody Wankers 33, Sohey it 32, Duffers 31, 'the Social Club 31, NW() 29, Sharp - eye 29, Misfits 28, Scorpions 28, River- Bendovers 28, Purple Feet 28, Shorelin- ers 26, Brats 26, I toles & Poles 25, Just Kineto Theatre s# Forest "TANGLED" Rated: PG (Cartoon/Animation) January 7, 8, 9 & 11th Starring: Monody Moots Zachary Lsvi, Gama Murphy (11' lis 21, 'foss & Go Anywhere 20 and She -Devils 19. High takeouts shot by Kevin Coolman 98, Bill Fischer 97, Troy I.avier 80, Jay Rahn 59, Bob Glidden 52 and Lionel Walsh 49. Top shooters on the night were: Rick bellow 140,117,1', Dwight Sheppard 140,T, Dick Luening 140, Rill Osmond 140, Bert Steenhuis 133,102, Ivan Herrington 129;1;1;1; Joe Parsons 125, Mike Rahn 121;1', Brad Rahn 120, Randy Williams 120, Art Travis 119, Ted White 117, Bob Glidden 1 14,101, Trevor Truemner 110, Bonnie Bartlam 103. Bryan Mantz 101, Kevin (:001111 an '1','1','1','1', Cord Carter T T,T, Neil Clif- ford 1', Chas 111cManus'T, lay Rahn '1', Pete Clifford '1', Kaleigh Clemens '1, Lisa 1 ley - wood '1', 'Leri -Lynn Sheppard '1', Paul Vanderspek '1' and Keith Crawford'. PARK THEATRE 301M GODERICH 524 7811 Fri & Sat 6:45 & 9:15 Sun - Thur 7:30 Sat & Sun Mat pa =, 1:30 Niel ran. •,y s,v w PG .9‘i tZ.., n T. NA�i n Fri & Sat 6:45 & 9:15 Sun - Thur 7:30 . Sat & Sun Mat 1:30 WWW.1110vIelinks.ca 1-800-265-3438 SIFTO SALT MINE WV be able to mite 9 mNlion tons of salt a year - the largest production mine in the world when expansion completed next year. Salt from Goderich first achieved notoriety at the 1887 Paris Exhibition, beating the more famous English salt by winning fiat prize. It all began when Samuel Platt In 1888, owner of a Goderich flour mNI, drilled for oil and htt the salt vein at about 300 metres Mass production of salt in Goderich didn't begin tnhtll 1880. Mining in Goderich didn't begin until 1959, Until until, a salty brine was pumped to the surface and processed. The mine is located on the edge of a massive geological formation, the Michigan Salt Basin, and produces 45% of the salt for Canada. locatbJ more than half a km beneath the surface, the mine extends more than six km beneath Lake Huron. („radia 7 $ Sa iete (',inter canadiennr sox arty du cancer 1Er'S MAKE CANCER 111STORY For information about cancer, services or to make a donation i'888.939.3333 • www.cancer.ca New to (:rand Bend and arca'' Had a New Baby? Ceiling Married'' First 'Lime Grandparents? Starting a Business'' Be sure to call... ��I I F.* Y.COM s,r+,-a 1 V Nl Faye Van Oss 519-238-8(148 1-866-573-9941 Welutnue Waron hn. free gills mill information UI1 behalf of (ii.indl Bold t' .IIV,i hllsIllcSSCs. WW .\%•rl,'Illn�'t� 111;1,n.c;l PLEASE RECYCLE Saturday Moming Y.B.C. - Dec.18/10 Bantam Giti: Ashley Jones - 133, 383 Bantam Boy: illake Oesch - 101, 285 Junior Girl: Brooklynn Shave - 166 Heather Hondriks - 446 Junior Boy: Aaron Oesch - 240, 603 Senior Boy: David Hunt - 231, 595 Monday Night Ladies - Dec.20/10 Lane 1: Jooanne Durand - 228, 542 Lane 2: Elaine Woldo - 229, 538 Lane 3: Sharon Lagorwerf - 197, 514 Lane 4: Barb Robinson - 253, 596 Tuesday Night Mens - Dec. 21/10 Good n oft: Les Coleman - 305, 763 Quick Silver: Jim Parmtey - 275, 653 No Names: Jay Hebert 263 Paul Rood - 546 Five Aces: Derek Ducharme - 312, 793 Farm Boys: Bob Pollow - 286, 690 Cobras: Luke Mommorsteeg - 248, 648 Men's High Average: Derek Duc- harme, Bob Pollow - 236 Wednesday Morning Ladies - Dec. 22/10 Lane 4: Ruth Ann Haist - 201, 476 Lane 5: Rebecca Wilder - 231, 623 Lane 6: Mario Brunzlow - 195, 509 Grand Cove Estates & Friends - Dec. 23/10 Lane 1: Grace Foskett - 168, 424 Lane 2: Ralph Simons - 184, 455 Lane 3: Dave Head - 205 Bort Steenhuis - 516 Lane 4: Mike Ludanyi - 212, 581 Lathe's High Average: Grace Foskott . 154 Men's High Average: Mike Ludanyi - 184 s J L ;ION srlIJ BRANCH 498, GRAND BEND BINGO Tuesday - 7pm MEAT DRAWS Friday - 5pm 7piu LINE DANCING - WED. 10 AM ENTERTAINMENT Sat., January 8 3.6 }"M "DJ" BARRY SHEPPARD 'You're only a strongor horn once." EVERYONE WE Allo al mmonly ,a