True Patriot Love - November 05, 2026


Canada Is Sitting on Potash Goldmine… So Why Aren’t We Cashing In？ ft. Daymon Guillas

Trump's Midterm Wipeout： What Happens to Canada Now？

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Length

25 minutes

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162.33

Word count

4,148

Sentence count

239

Harmful content

Misogyny

3

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Toxicity

1

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Hate speech

3

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Transcript

Transcript generated with Whisper (turbo).
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00:00:00.000 well as i made my way across from the west calgary all the way to ontario uh i certainly had to pass
00:00:11.520 through manitoba and as i did uh there was an observation that i made and that was that this
00:00:17.120 must be one of the potash capitals of the world and it made me think how much is potash such a big
00:00:24.320 deal that major leaders around the world are talking about it the u.s government is doing
00:00:29.120 what it's can to find a new way to get potash how important is potash and what is it all about well
00:00:36.320 as it turns out it's a major factor in feeding the world to talk to us more about that damon
00:00:43.040 gillis joins us uh damon you're the president of the potash and agri development corporation of
00:00:47.440 manitoba uh so you're the guy i'm glad that we got you to talk about this first of all set the
00:00:55.680 stage for me what is the importance of potash firstly we drove across the country you drove
00:01:02.080 through god's country which is manitoba and that's where i'm sitting so thank you for coming to god's
00:01:06.080 country thanks for having me potash is one of the cree one of the three critical fertilizers
00:01:13.520 to have enough food to feed the people on this planet the head of the un in april two years ago
00:01:21.040 said if we do not solve the fertilizer crisis he said food affordability is already off the table
00:01:27.520 it's now about food availability potash gives you stronger roots healthier plants more resistant
00:01:36.800 persistent and higher yields if you didn't have potash yields would drop 18 to 22 percent like
00:01:43.600 so think about 18 to 22 percent less food in the world so people would die and only the high in
00:01:51.920 higher income people could afford the food that's how critical it is canada has and saskatchewan is
00:01:59.040 the king of potash manitoba is second i want to be clear saskatchewan is the potash king of the
00:02:04.320 world yeah we don't want to start a we don't have started an unnecessary rivalry here there isn't
00:02:09.760 they're so big. So Canada has the richest reserves, the highest quantity and quality
00:02:17.040 in the world. It comes into Manitoba where we are. And so that's why Manitoba is also in the potash
00:02:22.960 business. But when we talk about food strategies, you got to back up a step. You better have a
00:02:31.760 fertilizer strategy. And people are now aware of that. The countries now want to have a fertilizer
00:02:36.400 strategy, as well as
00:02:38.140 because you can't have food without it.
00:02:40.520 And all of Canada's
00:02:42.600 potash, except for ours,
00:02:44.620 is foreign-owned. 0.99
00:02:46.940 I'm not
00:02:47.460 judging.
00:02:50.420 And that wouldn't happen today, but these were
00:02:52.160 what we allowed to happen in the past. But all of
00:02:54.420 Canada's potash is foreign-owned. We control 1.00
00:02:56.320 none of it. Manitoba-
00:02:57.840 What are the major controlling countries
00:02:59.460 that have a hold on that?
00:03:03.060 Well, they're publicly traded.
00:03:04.500 So one is K plus S out of Germany in Saskatchewan, BHP Billiton out of Australia, Mosaic, which
00:03:11.660 is publicly traded, only 1.8% of the dividends stay in Canada from there, 0% from the other
00:03:18.120 two, by the way.
00:03:19.200 And the nutrient is Canadian-based, but only 28% of it is Canadian-owned.
00:03:24.260 It's, again, publicly traded, no passing judgment.
00:03:26.680 The way it is.
00:03:27.460 But we've kept ours sovereign-owned.
00:03:30.000 We are 100% Canadian-owned, always will be.
00:03:32.580 it makes it very hard to get off the ground financially over there hey before we go any
00:03:37.060 further please hit the subscribe button right now if you want the raw debates the full uncut
00:03:42.600 conversations you won't see here head straight to tplmedia.ca subscribe and lock in your membership
00:03:48.060 trust me you don't want to miss what happens behind the paywall all right back to the show
00:03:52.900 interesting to say that because uh we see this in many kinds of uh mining scenarios in canada
00:04:00.000 that the financing, the major corporations that come in are the ones that have the big enough bucks to just arrive and put the time in to setting the mine up,
00:04:10.680 getting through all of the paperwork and process required to do it, which sometimes is a decade or more.
00:04:19.980 Maybe plant the seed for me on where we are right now globally.
00:04:26.820 You mentioned that we have the best reserves, we have the most of it in the world.
00:04:30.900 How long does this stay an initiative that Canada can sustain?
00:04:38.400 Oh, between Saskatchewan and Manitoba, we have enough potash for 1,000, 2,000 years.
00:04:47.340 It's substantial. Our reserves are big.
00:04:49.720 So also that would lead me to think that we're probably a major,
00:04:54.600 there's probably even more untapped mining opportunity for it and more
00:04:59.040 opportunity for Canadians.
00:05:00.220 How do we position ourselves moving forward as Canadians to capitalize on
00:05:05.180 this market?
00:05:06.360 Well, I, you know, I think you need more privately owned potash mines. 0.82
00:05:13.200 That would just put more potash on the market.
00:05:16.220 Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:17.480 I'm sensitive there.
00:05:18.400 so you know it's uh i just think you need more you know right now it's controlled by a few it's not
00:05:25.040 a negative it's the way it is at the same time i want to be clear my comments are negative
00:05:28.380 if we didn't have these big companies producing potash right now people would be starving so
00:05:35.080 we're very the world's very fortunate to have saskatchewan up and running the way it is
00:05:39.240 but i just think at this point uh and there's we need more potash production in my opinion
00:05:46.100 and the more privately owned, the better.
00:05:48.900 So the world is getting wealthier.
00:05:51.500 It's a big population in the world.
00:05:53.780 I'm not saying they're all wealthy,
00:05:55.340 but more and more people in the world
00:05:57.880 can now afford more proteins, plant and animal,
00:06:00.540 and they're demanding it.
00:06:01.780 You only get more proteins with more potash
00:06:03.580 and other fertilizers.
00:06:05.600 Do we have enough potash to supply the world at the moment?
00:06:08.640 You say we have 1,000 years' worth,
00:06:10.120 but on hand, are we in a position
00:06:13.200 to be the leader in the world to do this?
00:06:15.040 I noticed that Donald Trump was talking about going to someplace nestled in the landlocked in Europe.
00:06:23.240 I can't even remember where that was.
00:06:25.420 Maybe it was Belarusers. 0.93
00:06:27.480 I don't even know where he was getting it from.
00:06:29.260 But it just seemed like a difficult scenario.
00:06:32.120 Are we in danger of not being competitive in the world market if we don't get out there?
00:06:38.240 So we can have lots of potash.
00:06:41.000 We have very good procedures, safe operations, mining costs are pretty low in Canada.
00:06:47.800 And of course, Canada is well serviced by our rails. We're so fortunate.
00:06:52.440 You can get potash to Texas in 10 to 14 days. And that's a big, that's a big, big distance.
00:06:59.160 I know the discussions about getting it elsewhere. Of course, anybody that's in the farming
00:07:03.640 business would say, why would you do that? You know, you have to train it there, coast it,
00:07:09.160 get on a vessel bring it to the east coast load it on trains whereas out of canada you just load
00:07:14.040 the train once and it ends up at site so i think that's a bit of a an emotional response but uh
00:07:20.360 it seemed like it at the time to be honest with you it seemed like kind of a a silly response
00:07:25.800 uh now do me a favor explain to me what is potash and and how is it important to agriculture
00:07:32.040 for sure so potash is potassium chloride and you can spread it on your fields in a granular
00:07:41.000 some will dissolve it and spread it in a solution base and so what we bring out of the ground
00:07:48.520 everybody it's called myriad of potash mop but higher value crops like fruits vegetables nuts
00:07:55.800 coffee tea need a higher grade less salt add sulfur so potash is the base ingredient for sop
00:08:06.120 sulfate of potash and there's a big market for that around the world as well and canada's
00:08:10.840 mlp is the best feedstock in the world for low salt high quality kcl but the glasses you're
00:08:17.880 wearing have potash in it brian or mike so sorry mike so sorry so your glasses have potash in it
00:08:24.280 Potassium hydroxide is used in glassware, glasses, windshields, food, plain de-icer, cosmetics, cleaning supplies.
00:08:33.920 And potash is the base ingredient for potassium hydroxide.
00:08:37.880 So you need it for all that.
00:08:40.540 As I made my way, I think to, it might have been, I'm sorry, it's so blended.
00:08:45.460 I don't know if you've ever done a drive across the country, but one town becomes the next town after a few days.
00:08:51.080 But there was an elk.
00:08:52.940 Pardon me?
00:08:53.380 or the line is you can see your dog for two days and they run away right yeah it was you know in
00:08:58.440 saskatchewan i got a speeding ticket and i had to drive for five minutes to the flashing lights
00:09:04.280 i never had that experience as an ontarian you expect to get jumped out at but no in saskatchewan
00:09:10.440 they wait for you at the next turn um but as we made our way across saskatchewan and into manitoba
00:09:16.340 and I'm sorry, I don't recall where exactly it was.
00:09:19.220 We went to what I think was a sulfur deposit and sulfur mine.
00:09:28.360 Probably Winyard.
00:09:30.100 I'm so sorry?
00:09:31.540 Winyard, Saskatchewan.
00:09:33.140 That's it.
00:09:34.280 Absolutely.
00:09:36.160 So as we made our way through there,
00:09:38.100 it occurred to me that this was a derivative also of what we're pulling out of the ground.
00:09:44.020 Are those competitive or complementary industries to each other?
00:09:52.020 Complementary, yeah.
00:09:53.940 So what they're doing at Winyard, they add potash to it.
00:09:58.940 And so what they have is sulfur.
00:10:01.180 They add potash to it and make SOP.
00:10:03.580 So it's a very needed facility, and it produces a very low-cost product.
00:10:08.920 So no, Winyard's a good plant.
00:10:11.620 It was a very interesting scenario because suddenly you feel like you're in the middle.
00:10:16.260 Well, they have seabirds, for goodness sake, landing there in the water because of the saltwater content.
00:10:22.780 But that alongside the potash piles you see along the way kind of put into perspective how big an industry Canadians don't know that we have here and how important it is to the world.
00:10:33.800 Are there innovations being made right now with potash to use it in other ways?
00:10:38.520 Are there markets that, you know, will develop as technology comes on line?
00:10:45.420 Or has potash pretty much found its market?
00:10:48.260 You know, you're probably a little bit over my head, Mike.
00:10:52.440 That question was a little over my head, to be honest with you.
00:10:55.920 I don't know.
00:10:57.080 So over my head, the extraction of potash is pretty simple.
00:11:02.480 And nobody does it better than Saskatchewan.
00:11:05.200 Saskatchewan does it underground, and they do it by solution mining.
00:11:09.360 So they are the world's leader of potash extraction.
00:11:12.740 So if anybody has a new way to do it, it'll be them.
00:11:16.000 We do it by solution mining, which is a very small footprint, very, very, very low emission, very low use of fresh water.
00:11:23.680 So our environmental footprint is extremely small compared to other methods of mining.
00:11:29.860 Will there be more uses of potash? Over my pay grade.
00:11:33.980 Let's hope that there is.
00:11:35.380 Now tell me about the mining process.
00:11:37.920 It's very interesting.
00:11:39.480 How do we actually extract this?
00:11:41.840 So our potash deposit is at 825 meters.
00:11:46.820 Saskatchewan ranges from 1,100 to 1,700 meters.
00:11:50.780 So in our case, you drill down to the potash seam.
00:11:56.500 Then you pump down a brine saturated with salt.
00:12:01.040 So potash floor is called sylvanite. It's made up of potash KCL and salt.
00:12:08.240 We pump down a brine that's saturated with salt. But as it goes into the sylvanite seam,
00:12:15.360 it can still fill up with potash but not salt. So we bring it to surface in liquid form
00:12:23.200 and then you put it outside into a lined pond and you let mother nature and fairy winters
00:12:30.600 return it from a liquid to a solid and that's how you get that's how we solution mine you can also
00:12:38.740 solution you can also cool it by refrigeration you can also heat it by evaporative crystallization
00:12:45.760 and return it to a solid but we're using mother nature very low energy uh we just do it that way
00:12:51.760 And again, that's being done in Saskatchewan as well.
00:12:53.500 We learn from them.
00:12:55.920 That's quite a distance down.
00:12:57.680 How the hell did we ever discover potash and how to use it?
00:13:01.540 Well, potash originally was burnt wood.
00:13:05.720 Ash is in a pot, burnt.
00:13:07.020 That was potash.
00:13:08.160 So that's the origin of the name.
00:13:09.640 The world knows it as KCL.
00:13:12.640 I think the Canadian term is potash.
00:13:15.460 Who found it?
00:13:17.100 Don't know.
00:13:17.500 I didn't read that history lesson, that history book, so I'm not sure.
00:13:23.720 But Manitoba has been explored since the 80s for the purpose of an underground mine.
00:13:30.200 So Manitoba has been extensively explored, and we have a lot in Manitoba, a lot of products.
00:13:37.020 But ours is a higher grade, or a high grade, so it's easier and less capital cost to solution mine it.
00:13:44.360 To build a big underground mine today, $10 billion, and that's what Australia is spending in Janssen, that $10 billion, we're up and running for $30 million.
00:13:56.580 Wow. That's a significant difference.
00:13:59.720 Well, also the difference is we're privately owned, so every nickel has to reach $10.
00:14:03.940 We don't get fancy. We have to stretch every dollar.
00:14:07.140 But our capital cost is 10% to 15% of what a publicly traded company would spend.
00:14:13.300 You're very kind about other major corporations being in the ground, and I do see your point.
00:14:20.140 But it also occurs to me that we're at a time in Canada where investing in ourselves major projects,
00:14:26.300 this could be a major project that is sustainable alongside something, for example, like PetroCanada might have been,
00:14:33.800 Becoming profitable, becoming a nation leader and a means of, you know, sovereign wealth, frankly, as a nation.
00:14:44.400 100%. And again, I want to be clear. I don't judge. I just comment and I could be wrong.
00:14:50.080 I don't care if people call me on it. But we Canadians have taken the lower risk way of let others develop it.
00:14:58.100 And it's wrong. We're paying the price now.
00:14:59.840 yeah i would agree and you know we've seen it in oil and energy as well for sure and we know now
00:15:07.160 we have to step up and do it but the spirit is there i was at the prime minister's canada
00:15:11.540 investment summit in toronto and no question the spirit is there no more of taking the easy path
00:15:17.240 we have to get it done ourselves now let's do it how do i become dependent on others you know
00:15:23.000 globalization works until somebody doesn't like it until a global leader doesn't like it then
00:15:27.600 in this spot i'm really proud of our prime minister and the how he's inspiring canadians
00:15:33.200 to stand up and do business uh canadian investors have typically been risk adverse we're seeing a
00:15:39.440 little bit of change in that or certainly in some um but the days we've said this for decades now
00:15:46.640 i think the days where if we let an outside uh foreign owner come in and all we get is the jobs
00:15:55.120 and the construction spending those days have to be done there has to be more significance
00:16:01.280 if you're going to take out our resources because our quality of life that we expect from government
00:16:06.960 is so high we can't just live on income taxes anymore government needs more revenues so again
00:16:14.240 two mines in saskatchewan big mines zero percent dividends in canada
00:16:19.040 If there was $100 million in dividends a year, that would probably ripple 10, 15 times.
00:16:29.640 We have to think bigger in how to build our economy in Canada, meaning everybody has to step up, including federal departments.
00:16:36.820 Some are, and some are still running scared and not doing their job.
00:16:40.540 But I think the prime minister will whip them into shape.
00:16:43.520 I do hope so.
00:16:44.760 And, you know, when you talk about such a clean extraction of such a valuable resource, it should be something that we look to first.
00:16:52.880 You know, not to say $10 billion isn't a lot of money, but we've seen $10 billion go several times to other countries to support things I don't fully understand.
00:17:03.400 Now I understand potash is in the ground, not too far.
00:17:07.120 We can extract it with not too much toxicity and we can be major players in the marketplace.
00:17:13.960 It seems like a natural fit for the federal government to get behind.
00:17:18.620 No question. I agree 100%.
00:17:20.340 Governments have a role to play.
00:17:23.640 You know, there's been a push in the past where government shouldn't be involved.
00:17:26.220 I've never agreed with that.
00:17:27.480 Somebody has to step up with the big pockets for the seed money and who benefits more than government.
00:17:32.700 They get revenues from any sources.
00:17:35.020 Government should step up.
00:17:35.900 People, society, voters shouldn't criticize governments for stepping up to seed economies.
00:17:43.960 100% like they should and I see that now I see much more cooperation with federal departments
00:17:49.860 now than I've seen in 20 years so it's coming we do a lot of virtue flag uh waving as a nation boy
00:17:57.280 what a what a you know what a flag to wave uh barely zero uh carbon problems and we hit the
00:18:05.740 market with something that feeds the world it seems like a no-brainer as a nation we should
00:18:11.720 be building our sovereign wealth and our future around this, especially if there's a thousand
00:18:16.600 years to look at. Yes, 100 percent, Mike. And I think we're seeing that now. We're realizing that
00:18:23.460 in this industry, potash, other mining, again, Canada is blessed with it. Let's use it to help
00:18:30.860 the world, but increase our wealth and quality of life and country as well. No question.
00:18:37.160 a very quick favor before we continue a large percentage of you who watch or listen to tpl
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00:19:04.300 nothing keeps you informed so thank you now back to the show uh countries around the world uh that
00:19:11.740 look at what we do with potash mining uh are we kind of are there other potash deposits around
00:19:18.940 the world that we have influence on i don't know about influence but i've certainly been to meetings
00:19:24.620 in a couple three countries now lots of them online canada is respected
00:19:30.240 Canada's potash pie is respected, and they never want to risk their relationship with Canada
00:19:35.720 because good grades, the quality gets there in good shape, and it gets there on time.
00:19:43.540 A plant doesn't care if there's a war, if there's political bickering.
00:19:47.960 It needs its food the week it needs it.
00:19:50.700 It has to have it.
00:19:52.200 And Canada, meaning Saskatchewan, has always delivered the potash on time in great shape.
00:19:57.520 I'll get out of your hair.
00:20:00.140 The respect for Canada and Saskatchewan is immense around the world that I've talked to.
00:20:05.120 That's good to hear.
00:20:06.420 You know what?
00:20:07.020 I'm not surprised based on the amount of volume and the experience that you're describing to us that we have with potash here.
00:20:14.220 I'll get out of your hair.
00:20:15.520 No pun intended.
00:20:16.500 I know we have the same haircut.
00:20:17.700 I'll get out of your hair for the weekend.
00:20:19.200 but what are some of the challenges that face your industry right now
00:20:25.700 that you think could be overcome easily?
00:20:30.260 100% capital.
00:20:32.000 If we want it to be Canadian-owned, not go public,
00:20:36.240 there has to be capital from government, loan guarantees, capital, all that.
00:20:43.500 Our banks and investors.
00:20:45.200 our banks in canada i think hold back our economy big time mike i think our banks are a big problem
00:20:52.720 in the country that said prime minister carnegie is a banker he knows that better i'm just sitting
00:20:57.260 in the cheap seats talking for money so i want to qualify it but i think our banks have gone too far
00:21:02.560 in even small businesses if you want to start a small business today you have to give them your
00:21:06.800 firstborn and i think people are getting tired of that and yeah i think the biggest problem in our
00:21:11.280 country is being risk adverse. I think our banking has become too greedy. They want all their loans
00:21:17.660 double, triple guaranteed. You know, don't be silly. That's my comment. But it's coming around. 0.97
00:21:24.980 The governments are coming around big time. Certainly, I think the investment community
00:21:29.700 realized they need to step up. I think Prime Minister has been pretty clear to them. So I think
00:21:33.720 we're on the right path. Again, we've had it so comfortable for decades. Why change it? But now
00:21:40.500 but we know we have to change it.
00:21:42.200 Yeah, the time has arrived.
00:21:43.460 It's interesting to hear somebody
00:21:45.280 who's perched atop that iceberg
00:21:49.020 as we float towards some sort of solution in that regard. 1.00
00:21:53.560 And I'm glad to hear a cheerleader out there 1.00
00:21:55.720 vying for Canada have ownership in this.
00:21:59.200 That's very cool to hear.
00:22:00.640 So Mike, our business model is really cool.
00:22:03.220 So we have, so the national government of the Red River
00:22:06.300 Métis, our equity partners in the project, they own 15%.
00:22:10.500 We hope and want First Nation communities also to be investors.
00:22:16.560 We are proposing to profit share, meaning same proposed, because nobody's signed on to it yet,
00:22:22.120 profit share with the three regional First Nation communities, the Manitou Métis Federation,
00:22:28.740 and we also do profit share with the community.
00:22:31.380 We give 4% of our net profit back to our own social economic development fund called Empower.
00:22:37.660 is to fund the community life projects in the region for families have a nice quality of life
00:22:42.820 and it's to loan people like you and I money to start small businesses long-term compassion
00:22:48.520 capital we don't really care if we get it back we want you to succeed people will are innovative
00:22:55.760 they will drive good things if you give them a bit of a hand up so our own little bank in power
00:23:02.140 is there to loan people in the region loan money to people in the region to start their own
00:23:05.860 businesses, boutique shops, new technologies, support our potash mine. It's always about the
00:23:12.700 people first. And if as many people as possible can benefit directly and indirectly, Mike,
00:23:19.180 we all become ambassadors. We grow together. We share the wealth. We let it grow. It's pretty
00:23:25.180 simple. If greed causes implosion, look down south. You raise an interesting and really
00:23:34.960 powerful business model here because one of the challenges we have in employing people in Canada
00:23:40.820 is that we have great employment, but it's in northern or remote or mining town areas that
00:23:47.080 don't have enough appeal to people's lifestyle. If you're building into the community, the local
00:23:53.240 cafe, well, then there's going to be a cafe. If you're building in the local theater, then to me,
00:24:00.520 that is how you build productive places where people can actually be employed can actually
00:24:06.600 afford a home and can actually have a family that i think is an incredible business model
00:24:12.280 not rocket science is it well you know what apparently it is it's not being done by even
00:24:18.540 some of the best scientists that we have at the federal end this has been fascinating damon i
00:24:23.720 really appreciate this and and if you don't mind in the future we might have more pot ask ask questions
00:24:29.680 or potash issues that we would love to refer to you on,
00:24:34.520 but this has been endlessly helpful to understand
00:24:36.920 where Canada stands with potash.
00:24:40.040 Mike, thank you, and I'm sorry that it wasn't available last week.
00:24:43.300 Call me anytime when you're coming through again.
00:24:46.100 So we're also going to have Manitoba's first,
00:24:49.240 maybe Canada's first, potash salt spa.
00:24:53.220 So our salt level in our pond, where we cool it, has got the same density as a dead sea.
00:25:03.840 We're going to have that.
00:25:04.720 And there's only caught ash salt spa.
00:25:09.160 I'm coming for that.
00:25:10.800 Right on.
00:25:11.400 I'm coming up for that.
00:25:12.280 I need a spa more than anybody you know.
00:25:14.940 And that sounds fabulous.
00:25:16.480 Well, this has been really cool.
00:25:18.860 Damon Gillis, thank you so much for your time.
00:25:21.480 and Go Canada Go!
00:25:23.780 I'm bullish on potash.
00:25:26.140 100%.
00:25:26.540 We have the best country in the world,
00:25:27.840 Go Canada Go!
00:25:28.740 Mike, really a pleasure to meet you
00:25:30.260 and talk to you.
00:25:30.740 Thank you for your time.
00:25:31.720 Likewise.
00:25:32.180 Take care.
00:25:32.680 See you, bud.