The CEO of Encanto says his company and the Muskowekwan First Nation will continue to move their proposed potash mine project forward and will continue discussions to supply an Indian trading company with fertilizer. The partners are also working on raising funds for the project.

Stavros Daskos was appointed to the company's board of directors close to a year and a half ago. He has extensive experience with high level government contracts from his work as president of World Defense Holdings, a contractor specializing in infrastructure and national security projects.

He says this deal with India would be for the lifespan of the mine, which according to a pre-feasibility study from 2013 is expected to be over 50 years. For this reason, Daskos said current potash prices do not worry him.

"The strategy beyond Encanto potash is to really develop a First Nations trading company," Daskos said. "That would allow for the First Nations people — who are basically the owners of these resources — to benefit first for themselves, for their communities, then to establish an international position in big industry."

Encanto and the Muskowekwan First Nation have had a formal agreement with Metals and Minerals Trading Company of India (MMTC) — the government of India's largest international trading company — for almost a year now. In April of this year the agreement expanded to include a commitment for the potash mine to supply a minimum of two million metric tonnes of potash annually to MMTC.

Under the agreement, MMTC will act exclusively as Encanto's worldwide distributor of potash. The company says this is expected to provide access to markets and increased pricing outside of India.

Daskos said over the past 15 months, he has made about 10 trips to India to work on this agreement. On the last trip, Muskowekwan First Nation leader, Reginald Bellerose, joined him.

"It was a good discussion and we are going to be pursuing discussions on the structure of how to take these things forward."

The proposed $3 billion project is set to be built 100 kilometres northeast of Regina, near Lestock. The development is unique because the Muskowekwan First Nations will have a 100 per cent share and full control over the mine. When this mine is completed, it will be the first potash mine in Saskatchewan on First Nations land.

Bellerose says he doesn't want his people to keep on living on welfare. He says this mine will bring about opportunity and jobs for the Muskowekwan First Nation.

A pre-feasibility study conducted in 2013, revealed this mine could produce 2.8 million tonnes of of fertilizer every year.

In 2014, band members voted in favour of the proposed mine. However, some band members still have concerns, including elder Stan McKay.

McKay is worried about how his band will benefit from this mine. He also questioned the chief's role as both the president of the resource company and as leader of the First Nations community. "It's a conflict of interest," McKay said.

McKay said he also wants to see the chief and the president of Encanto conduct more consultations with band members.

The First Nations community and Encanto still haven't announced a start date for construction on the mine.