An empty farm-supply store in Humboldt, Saskatchewan is about to become one of the most consequential vocational training facilities in the province's history. Carlton Trail College, mining giant BHP, and the Government of Saskatchewan are jointly transforming the former Peavey Mart building on 8th Avenue into the BHP Technical Training Centre, a purpose-built space designed to feed skilled workers into the Jansen Potash Mine and the broader industrial corridor taking shape around it.
The timing is deliberate. BHP's Jansen mine, located about 60 kilometres south of Humboldt, is targeting first ore for late 2026 and represents roughly US$14 billion in committed capital across two construction phases, the largest private-sector investment in Saskatchewan history. The mine is expected to create around 600 permanent operational jobs, and thousands more during peak construction, in a rural region that has never had to supply that kind of skilled-trades pipeline. Electricians, millwrights, instrumentation technicians, heavy-duty mechanics and welders are all in short supply across the Prairies, and Humboldt, a city of about 6,000, has emerged as the de facto service hub for the entire build-out.
The 2,111-square-metre building being converted was vacated after Peavey Industries closed all of its Canadian Peavey Mart locations in 2024, leaving a retail gap in dozens of rural communities. Repurposing that space for industrial workforce training neatly captures the broader economic shift underway in east-central Saskatchewan. Carlton Trail College, which serves a rural catchment of roughly 50,000 people, has historically delivered programming through partnerships with larger institutions rather than owning major capital facilities of its own. This project marks a significant expansion of its footprint.
Source: NationGraph.
Renovations are scheduled to begin this summer, with the facility set to open in fall 2027. Beyond mining, Carlton Trail College plans to use the space for programs tied to manufacturing, agriculture and health care, sectors all facing workforce shortages across the region. BHP has committed more than C$55 million to community and training initiatives in Saskatchewan since 2011 as part of its broader effort to build goodwill and local labour supply in the communities surrounding Jansen.
The total project budget and BHP's specific financial contribution to this facility have not been disclosed. Construction management firms are being sought through SaskTenders, with work expected to begin immediately upon contract award. As previously reported, this project has been in development amid Jansen's ramp-up and the region's growing need for local training capacity. How quickly the college can move from groundbreaking to graduated tradespeople will matter: Jansen's Stage 2 ramp-up runs through the early 2030s, and the window to shape who fills those jobs is open now.
