August 1, 2016
The Goderich mine produces up to nine million tons of salt each year; the vast majority of output is used for de-icing.
Mining for safety
Canadian salt mines supply the snow and ice management industry
Canada is home to some of the world’s largest and purest salt deposits. Interested in learning how the crucial de-icing material makes its way from those ancient deposits to our roads, sidewalks and parking lots, Landscape Trades recently spoke with Gerry Rogers, vice president of operations for the Siftco mine in Goderich, Ont. — the largest operating salt mine in the world.
The Siftco Goderich mine is 533 meters deep, the height of the CN Tower, and stretches under Lake Huron for seven km.
Drill-and-blast mining begins by cutting into the rock salt face using specialized equipment. Holes are then drilled into the face, and explosives break the salt into small rocks. Front-end loaders and trucks haul the salt to a crusher, where it is loaded onto a conveyor belt and transported to a mill.
A Great Lakes freighter is loaded with salt.