Book: Squandered: Canada's Potash Legacy

By Eric Cline
Published by University of Regina Press
Review by Toby A. Welch

Squandered: Canada's Potash Legacy is another thoroughly researched and super interesting read by University of Regina Press. As a bonus, as a Saskatchewanian I always welcome a book that is so geared to our province. That said, it makes sense as fifty percent of the free world’s potash reserves are in Saskatchewan.

I learned so much reading Squandered. Granted, I didn’t know a lot about Canada’s potash industry before I cracked the book open. But I was floored to read about mining companies replacing their petroleum businesses with potash drilling as they made more money than they ever could with oil and gas. Also, Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter of potash. And potash is the second most important value of production mineral in our country, second only to gold. As for Saskatchewan, potash is our largest export and our potash is the richest in the world.

By the end of the book, I’ll admit I was furious. It's too lengthy to fully clarify in a review - which is why I highly recommend you read the Squandered! - but the Saskatchewan government did not manage this valuable resource in the most effective way. (Some might call that a gross understatement.) A select few have grown rich thanks to how our potash reserves were managed while the rest of the people linger in poverty. It's a travesty that did not have to happen. But I am hopeful - some might say delusional - that the future of potash in Saskatchewan may take a turn for the better.

Eric Cline authored this book solo, a massive undertaking. That said, it would be hard to find someone more qualified than Cline. He is a lawyer who served sixteen years in the Saskatchewan legislature before working as a corporate executive in the mining sector, six of those years spent as vice-president of K+S Potash Canada. After that, he went on to establish an arbitration practice. Cline clearly knows the potash industry from top to bottom and was the perfect choice to author Squandered.

Every University of Regina Press book that I’ve come across - and that list is long - has been researched more thoroughly than most PhD papers. Squandered is no exception. The book includes a six page bibliography, nine pages of notes detailing source information, and two charts detailing potash production and sales. The time and dedication that went into this book is obvious, leading to the reader’s confidence that Squandered is spot on.

If you have an interest in the history of Saskatchewan and our national resources, pick up a copy of Squandered: Canada's Potash Legacy. It will likely be one of the most enlightening books you will ever read.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM