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For immediate release

June 25, 2013

From mine, to field, to fork: embark on the journey of potash at the Canada Science and Technology Museum

OTTAWA, June 25, 2013 – The Canada Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) today launched the Potash: Feeding the world exhibition, in order to expose its visitors to a fascinating unfamiliar substance and an important Canadian industry.

This Summer, Canadian families will have an opportunity to learn more about how this substance, extracted from deep below the Earth’s surface travels to fields around the world to facilitate the growth of food found on dinner plates on all continents. Although it is an industry in which Canada is a global leader, and which enhances the food security of millions around the world, the potash industry remains little-known to many Canadians.

Visitors will be invited to enter a potash mine to discover what it is, why it is mined, and how it is extracted. They will be able to realize its crucial importance to global food production.

“2012 marked an important year for the potash industry in Canada – it marks the 50th anniversary of potash production in Canada,” said Roger Larson, President of the Canadian Fertilizer Institute. “The goal of the exhibit is to showcase to Canadians how companies such as PotashCorp, the Mosaic Company, and Agrium mine potash, and the mineral’s essential role in feeding the world.”

“The Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation is proud to partner with the Canadian Fertilizer Institute and its members to present this fascinating exhibition” says CSTMC Acting CEO Fernand Proulx. “Their expertise and generosity have greatly helped us research the facts and acquire the artefacts that are being brought together in this exhibition.”

“The fertilizer industry’s goal is for the current and future global population’s to have access to a balanced nutritious diet,” stated Larson. “This exhibit will give visitors the opportunity to appreciate the full life-cycle of potash, from the underground mining to the plate of a family in the developing world. We could not be more excited for this exhibit to launch and for Canadians to gain a greater understanding of where their food comes from.”

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INFORMATION :

Olivier Bouffard
Media relations
613-949-5732

Cassandra Cotton
Manager, Communications
Canadian Fertilizer Institute
613-786-3029
ccotton@cfi.ca

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