Mining giant BHP announced Wednesday it is investing more than $2 million in housing and childcare in the Jansen region where their potash mine is located.

Through the BHP Jansen Housing Stimulation Program, up to $1 million has been allocated to stimulate new housing development within a 90-kilometre radius of Jansen. Twenty applications have been approved – 14 in Humboldt and six in Lanigan which represents 20 new homes now under construction.  The homes vary in size and style with completion expected between late 2025 and summer 2026. BHP employees have priority access to purchase the homes until one month after completion, after which remaining homes will be made available on the open market. Prices start at $425,000 and range up to $600,000.

The two key components of the program are infrastructure grants providing developers with up to 10 per cent of construction costs, to a maximum of $50,000 per home, for projects completed by July 2026. And a rental guarantee program offering landlords 80 per cent rent coverage for one year, or until the unit is leased by a BHP employee, to stimulate development of new rental housing.

BHP has also invested over $1 million in two new childcare centres with the LeRoy Daycare, located 13 kilometres from the Jansen mine, offering 90 spaces and is expected to open by early 2026. The Muenster Co-operative Childcare Centre, 51 kilometres from the mine, will add 45 spaces and is anticipated to open in summer 2026.

Both will accept infants as young as six weeks and will offer hours aligned with mine shift schedules.  BHP says with production on track to begin in 2027, Jansen is expected to generate around 900 permanent jobs.