Canada's largest helium purification facility opens in Sask.

North American Helium has officially opened Canada's largest helium purification facility in southwest Saskatchewan, and it's projecting the province's place in the industry is soaring to new heights. I think we're in the second inning. I think there is incredible decades worth of potential here. This new facility, located north of Swift Current, will produce approximately 73 million cubic feet of helium per year. The province says this extra production will increase Saskatchewan's annual output by 40%. I really do feel we're just scratching the surface on our exploration and production at this point. And we've had a lot of successes. We've had a lot of learnings. And we're at the point now where we've got a lot of guys trained up. We have a very solid team. The province says Saskatchewan produces 95% of all helium in Canada. And it's used in more than just balloons. It's used in MRI machines at hospitals, the manufacturing of semiconductors, and in the aerospace industry. And the province is calling on the federal government to add helium to its list of critical minerals eligible for a federal exploration tax credit, which could make it easier to attract investment. Saskatchewan has a different resource than the rest of Canada. We can produce a natural helium here, and that's why those tax changes are vastly more important. Our geology is important, our helium is important, that's why we need those tax changes. While Snyder seems optimistic about the tax changes, he didn't waver in his intention to build Canada's first helium liquefaction plant in Swift Current. I'm saying we are actually going to be building one. We are not making the official announcement today, but stay tuned on that. Snyder says the potential $100 million facility would eliminate the need to ship their products south of the border to be liquefied, which he predicts could turn this region into a global helium hub with many more facilities opening up. I think the government was prescient in suggesting the potential for 10% of world supply by 2030. That's certainly a goal that we're aiming towards. But, you know, I said we're in the second inning earlier. If we can get there by 2030, maybe we're in the third or fourth. Every indication here is that helium is an industry on the rise. Sean Mullen, CBC News. Stuart Valley.