40th Annual Mine Rescue Competition a success
Kuni Albert – from student to CEO
Strong like Two: Tli Cho Logistics Ltd.
Impact of mining in Canadian North far-reaching
Mining industry faces demand for skilled labour
40th Annual Mine Rescue Competition a success
By Dene Skylar
The Worker’s Compensation Board of the NWT and Nunavut hosted the 40th Annual Mine Rescue Competition in front of Yellowknife City Hall to a large audience on June 10, 2006. The event was one part of Mining Week Activities that were held week long.
Mine Rescue Teams from BHP Ekati Diamond Mine; Diavik Diamond Mine and Tahera’s Jericho Diamond Mine competed in the competitions that tested mine rescue skills. The teams competed in the following eight events: Practical Bench, Underground Bench, First Aid, Fire, Rope Rescue, Smoke, Obstacle/Extrication, and the Underground Obstacle task. The events varied from checking safety equipment to simulated disasters.
Miner Chris Koebel, who works for ProCon Mining, participated in the event. He stated, “Mine rescue training is extremely important! It is best to be prepared because if an unfortunate incident happens we are prepared, ready to do a proper job where team safety always comes first.” Sylvester Wong, Chief Inspector of Mines with the WCB of Northwest Territories and Nunavut agrees by saying, “If a disaster or accident occurs at a mine it requires a skilled mine rescue team to respond… when something happens you have to react, to save lives, to mitigate damage and safety of everyone including the skilled mine rescue team is very important.”
A recent disaster in a Kimberly BC mine where members of a skilled response team perished highlights the importance of always being prepared. David Arthur, WCB Mine Rescue Coordinator noted, “One of our events, the Confined Space Event where miners respond to an incident involving a lack of oxygen was created before the unfortunate BC Kimberly mine incident but mimics what happened there. Mine Rescue Team skills are important as they build on knowledge and keep skills current. Mine rescue team members need to know about the situation they are going into. They need to be aware. Safety is always number one. Here in the NWT everyone is trained in mining safety.”
The mining industry has provided a significant contribution to socio-economic development of the north and Canada. It is only fitting that Safety in Number One in the mining industry. After all it is the miners that work in some very challenging underground and open pit operations where there is always a need to be aware, ready and prepared. When it comes to mine rescue training, it is about safety knowledge and good rescue skills that are designed to rescue our miners should an incident occur. Miners are an important part of our community family and mine rescue training is an important part of overall readiness and occupational health and safety. Miner Chris Koebel summed it up well by saying, “Mine Rescue Training is awesome. It encourages teamwork in safety and we all look out for each other…its like a family where we all stay prepared to use our skills in rescue events.”
Large crowds observed in respect as the mine rescue teams engaged each event with professional attitudes, proper equipment, clear communication and safety. Judges also observed each event carefully. The winner of the competition will be going on to compete in the Western Regional Mine Rescue Competition scheduled for September, 2007 in Fernie, BC. The winner of the Surface Competition was the Tahera Diamond Corporation mine rescue team. The winner of the Underground Competition was the BHP Billiton Diamond mine rescue team. The WCB, NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines and all sponsors of this important event are to be congratulated on its success. They demonstrate that a partnership approach to mine rescue training keeps safety first and mine rescue teams prepared to do their part when called upon.
Kuni Albert – from student to CEO
By Shirley Collingridge
Today Kuni Albert is the president and co-owner of a brand new company. EarthOne Environmental Ltd. and is involved in ground planning, analysis and environmental science – all natural spin-offs from its CEO’s traditional and non-traditional training.
Albert has come a long way from her small town roots at Fond du Lac in northern Saskatchewan and Fort Chipeywan in northern Alberta, where post-secondary pursuits were not the norm for her generation.
“Any statistic will tell you that Aboriginal people are a small percentage leaving the community to get a higher education,” said the Denesuline Nation member, adding that the trend is changing.
“I’m seeing the younger generation leave and get a higher education rather than work in the mining industry or get a trade in the north,” she said. “There is a lot of opportunity there but some people are making the choice to become doctors, lawyers, psychologists and sociologists.”
When she left her own community, Albert had to learn to cope with the culture shock of the “big city” high school in Edmonton. So she began volunteering for Greenpeace, a natural match for the youth who had grown up in the midst of nature.
“At that time, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to grow up in a community at Fort Chipeywan, and be by the lake and have the ability to walk in the forest, trap rabbits, go on the boat with my grandparents, and just hear stories,” she said. “I had no idea when I moved to the city that this was what people were trying to save.”
From Greenpeace, says Albert, her interest in environmental protection “just evolved. This is how I chose my career path.”
Being a summer student for SunCorp Energy was “quite a learning experience,” she added. “Seeing the process of the mining industry was kind of a wake up call as well. So I decided to pursue it even further and get the university degree. I used that experience in a thesis.”
Albert now holds an honours degree in Environmental Science, a diploma in natural resources, and a long list of training certificates that includes WHMIS, Bear Awareness and Helicopter Safety.
While she was a student, Albert spent five summers working for Golder Associates, a 50-year-old environmental science and engineering company that acts as a conduit between Aboriginal communities and resource companies. There she met Larry Veilleux who would become a mentor and friend. This work experience, together with her education and early roots, came together to make her a specialist.
“Throughout my life I have been continuously exposed to traditional lifestyles that allowed for an increased knowledge of the natural world and the benefits of establishing a symbiotic relationship to maintain the diversity and ecology of the earth,” said Albert. “To be educated in both the traditional ways of my ancestors and the Western way allows for cultural understanding and awareness and the ‘best of both worlds.’”
“Industry and governments are more than willing to become involved and express concerns and to come to an understanding,” she added. “I am finding that at this level that I am at now I have a lot more direct involvement in decision making and support from the Nations. I find that once they are knowledgeable and find out what’s going on at the community grassroots level, their perception changes on what the impacts are… They have a better understanding and are able to make better decisions based on their knowledge.”
Albert says one of the most fulfilling aspects of her career is knowledge sharing. “I help the people understand this is good or this is bad and this is how we could help make it good,” she said. “It’s good to go into the communities and see the people and see what their concerns are and give them scientific data that I know are not something that’s made up. Once we are able to provide some solutions and help them understand what’s going on, then usually they are very happy to see us.”
Even at home, Albert stays true to her traditional roots. Last summer, along with family and friends (including Veilleux), she undertook a five-day, 280-kilometre canoe trek down the Athabasca River.
“It was amazing. There are no campgrounds along the river,” she said. “We just camped up into the forested area. We were two times our size and weight because of the mosquito bites!”
“Sometimes it’s difficult when you are in the city… to escape… to the forested area, but I still hold on dearly to all the traits that I was taught as a child and not really realizing that you are being taught lessons. I reflect back now and I think, yes, I remember doing this – going on the lake and going fishing. It was just normal and common. Now . . . it’s almost impossible to find a spot on a lake that doesn’t have another person on it so I really cherish those times,” she said.
She also relished sharing the experience with her 10-year-old daughter, who exchanged MP3s and iPods for a simple flashlight.
“She’s very adaptable,” said Albert. “I think that’s what most kids need these days – is to live in the city and be educated but still know the simple things in life. She can now. I said, ‘don’t forget who you are and this is where you come from.’ She just loved it.”
At conferences, Albert says, “I try to emphasize how Aboriginal people are a growing educated group. I can’t speak for the masses but I always try to speak the message, be strong and make good decisions. Don’t make decisions on the fly. For industries and government, history won’t ever repeat for Aboriginal communities.”
Individuality and sound decision-making are what determine success, says Albert. “I try to get that message across and to empower people in making environmental choices that are good for themselves and their communities, their children and grandchildren.”
“Aboriginal people must work together. We are always saying we help each other out, we’re all there for each other, and we’re all the same race,” she said. “But when it comes down to it, I find sometimes that’s not the case… I think if we all have a united front working together for the common good of our people and our grandchildren, we’ll persevere more than any other generation of our people have done prior to settlement.”
“For Aboriginal women who think they can’t leave,” she added, “Yes, they can leave. Whatever you put your mind to, you can do it and accomplish anything.”
Strong like Two: Tli Cho Logistics Ltd.
By Shirley Collingridge
In 1999, Tli Cho Logistics was born of mixed heritage – to Behcho Kó Development Corporation (51%) and ATCO Frontec (49%). It began with a handful of employees performing one-year site services and fuel supply/handling contracts. Today Tli Cho Logistics Ltd. is a growing company, 100-percent owned by the Behcho Kó Development Corporation. It could boast of 200 employees and revenue of $48 million in 2005.
Nick Mansell, chief executive officer for Behcho Kó Development Corporation has been a proud part of the company’s growth. The 16-year veteran of ATCO Frontec came to Yellowknife to manage Tli Cho Logistics on behalf of ATCO, then accepted the Tli Cho people’s offer to become chief operating officer two years ago.
He recalls when the company became wholly-Aboriginal owned. “ATCO Frontec was the managing partner until 2005 when we mutually agreed that the Tli Cho people were ready to manage their own company,” explained Mansell. “ATCO Frontec agreed that we could buy them out. The Dogrib Tli Cho people now own the company 100% and operate and manage the company themselves.”
Today Tli Cho Logistics supplies full services to the minesites and holds an “evergreen” contract with Diavik. An evergreen contract lasts the lifetime of the mine. The contract includes “all of the support services, heavy equipment operation, surge manpower, labour, water, sewer – all those types of support services that keep the mine running,” said Mansell.
“As part of the Impact Benefit Agreement negotiations with the diamond mining industry who want to come into traditional Tli Cho or any Aboriginal lands, these contracts are negotiated. In the case where there is capacity or demonstrated ability, the contracts are evergreened,” he explained.
Evergreen contracts occur on a case-by-case basis, depending on location, capacity and other factors, said Mansell. “For example, the Tli Cho government has just negotiated an IBA (Impact Benefits Agreement) with De Beers for the Snap Lake Diamond Mine; they have evergreened four contracts for Tli Cho business,” he said.
“We have a contract with DIAND for the care and maintenance of the Colonac Mine,” he added. Colonac is a gold mine which is in the process of remediation and close down. “We are the executive authority on the site to ensure that people work safely there. We provide the mine management services there and the care and maintenance.”
All of this growth puts the company’s key mandates within reach. “The first mandate is to make money and generate wealth transfer to the shareholder,” explained Mansell. “The second one is to employ Aboriginal people. The third one is to train Aboriginal people and build capacity. The fourth is to create sustainable economic development in the communities. The fifth mandate is to try to enhance the Tli Cho traditional economy where we can.”
“We do the first two quite well,” he added. “We are now at a size where we can put aside some substantial funds for the training/capacity-building that we need to do.”
The process will elevate Aboriginal employees to higher level jobs, including management positions.
“We have just started an apprenticeship program for industrial mechanics [and] millwrights,” said Mansell. “We brought on 12 Aboriginal apprentices that are working at the mines.”
The company is also working on a management training program. “Our board has approved the funds. We are going to hire six Aboriginal Tli Cho management trainees and bring them in to our office here and start the process of training them to be managers,” he said. “So I think we have done a fair amount in the last six years and we are moving in a good direction,” he added. “Forty percent of our management staff here in Yellowknife is Tli Cho Aboriginal people. We just need to get more trained into higher level positions.”
The fifth mandate is especially challenging because the company must find a way to continue satisfying its other mandates while concurrently supporting traditional occupations – as set out in the Tli Cho Land Claim and Self Government Agreement between the Tli Cho Nation and the Government of Canada, enacted in August last year.
“One of the key obligations on the part of all of their partners and stakeholder companies is to help enhance the traditional Tli Cho economy,” said Mansell.
“The mining industry is a high-pressure wage-economy based type work. It is tight rotations, heavy security – very high focus on safety,” he said. “So it is difficult for the mines, with their 24-hour-day, seven-day-a-week production to allow for seasonal hunting and special family [events.] They do the best they can but it is difficult. If people want to be in the wage economy for part of the year and they want to get out of the wage economy and get into traditional things like hunting or guiding or just get on the land to maintain their connection with the land, that is our job to try to help enhance that,” he said.
“Our job is to work with the mines to try to get them to broaden their vision a little bit without compromising their production or safety,” said Mansell. To achieve that goal, he added, employees must continue to meet the mines’ stringent prerequisites for employment.
“They have security screenings, criminal record checks, safety training requirements, [and] hazardous material training requirements. We are trying to create a pool of 10-15 employment-ready Tli Cho people so that if somebody at Diavik has a family issue or is invited to go hunting in Deline, they can leave their position without jeopardizing their employment and we can bring . . . in a substitute,” he said.
While this solution sounds ideal, the concept has some pitfalls. “The issue is, how you keep the pool in place if you have no job for them while they are waiting?” asked Mansell.
He believes the Tli Cho people are capable of achieving these goals and much more. Mansell attributes the company success, “mainly to our shareholder, the Tli Cho people,” he said. “I have lived all over the North. . . . I have worked with all of the Aboriginal people in the North and I am particularly pleased to work with the Tli Cho people,” he said.
“They have a kind of motto which is ‘Strong like Two,’ which means they work together with other people who come into the region – businesses and governments. They are open-minded about business yet they have strong traditions and values that they also take very seriously. So they are progressive and they have a good attitude,” he concluded.
Behcho Kó Development Corporation is the development group of the Dogrib Rae Band located in the Northwest Territories.
Impact of mining in Canadian North far-reaching
By Shirley Collingridge
Mike Vaydik, General Manager, NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, fully understands the impact of mining on northern Aboriginals. He knows that the industry influences every aspect of Northerners’ lives.
“As with any new development, there are positive and negative effects,” said Vaydik. “We believe that the effects are mainly positive.”
“The challenges for people taking these jobs relate to the remote worksites and the two-week-in two-week-out schedule. In our training programs with the Mine Training Committee, . . . we focussed considerable effort on preparing people for these challenges with life skills and cultural awareness training in addition to job skills training,” he said.
“On the other hand,” he added, “the two-and-two schedule means that people can continue to pursue their traditional land-based activities on their two weeks off every month, while continuing to live in their home community.”
Local employment also brings funds to local coffers. “There has been a great impact on the community of Rae from an economic perspective, with many new, privately owned homes being built and many new vehicles on the road,” said Vaydik. “I have heard some reports of increased alcohol use but am not aware of any statistics to support the reports.”
One distinctly positive response to the industry is the skyrocketing post-secondary enrolment rate in Tlicho (Dogrib) communities. “Never before has there been such a marked increase in education rates over a short period in the NWT, and I would guess anywhere in the world,” said Vaydik.
In 1994, only two Dogrib students were enrolled in post-secondary education; by 1998, there were ten. In 1999, that number began a dramatic rise, reaching 120 by the end of 2002.
“I credit this to three factors. The first is community leadership,” said Vaydik, citing Joe Rabesca, Grand Chief of the Dogrib First Nation.
“We can no longer rely on trapping as a way of supporting our families and communities,” said Grand Chief Rabesca. “More and more young people are becoming better educated as time goes on, and we can’t expect them to have a good living trapping. . . . Jobs will have to be created by other activities such as mining and other things that are going on outside our homes. . . . We need to focus on developments which have the opportunity to create long term wealth for our people,” he said.
Today, the NWT Aboriginal business directory lists more than 200 Aboriginal-owned businesses in food services, construction, trucking, transportation services, and communications industries. Many of these businesses support the diamond-mining sector. Estimates of Aboriginal employees within these newly created companies exceed one thousand, and company revenue estimates exceed $100 million.
Over the period 2000 to 2004, total construction and operations expenditures for Diavik and Ekati were $1,706 million – seventy-four per cent ($1,259 million) with northern businesses. Almost $800 million was with northern Aboriginal businesses.
The second factor for increased growth in post-secondary education is attributable to the “local education authority that responded to realistic job opportunities available to the Tlicho people in the north [such as] mining and exploration jobs,” said Vaydik.
The third factor is “the real chance of real, well-paid, full-time jobs in the rapidly expanding diamond mining industry,” he said. When students know they can use their education, they are much more likely to pursue it.
The dramatic 1998 - 2002 rise in post-secondary enrolment coincides with the beginning of operation of the EKATI Diamond Mine and the construction of the Diavik Mine. In 2004, the mining industry generated 89.1% of total employment impacts while exploration and manufacturing contributed 4% and 6.9% respectively.
For information about other areas where mining impacts the Northwest Territories, visit www.miningnorth.com.
Did You Know
Ek’ati Services Ltd. (Yellowknives Dene First Nation (51%) PTI Group (49%) has one of the largest apprenticeship programs in the NWT, with a capacity for 30-40 apprentices in trades in 2005.
At the Ekati mine, 92 apprentices were enrolled across 12 different trades last year. 73% of the apprentices are from the North and 32% are Aboriginal.
Ek’ati Services Ltd. held a $4.6 million contract to supply labour, materials, camp management, food, environmental services, accommodation facilities and equipment to Diavik’s 650-person construction camp.
NSR Employment Solutions Inc., a wholly-owned company of the Dogrib Rae Band, provides workers for the mining industry.
Mining industry faces demand for skilled labour
By Shirley Collingridge
Despite high wages, excellent working conditions, and sound benefits, the Canadian mining industry is on the verge of a skilled employee crisis. In Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in the Canadian Minerals and Metals Industry, the Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council (MITAC) revealed that, over the next 10 years, the labour supply gap will range from 27 to 71 thousand workers.
In some Saskatchewan mining operations, that gap is already evident; in others, it lies just over the horizon. Representatives of Saskatchewan’s coal, gold, potash, and uranium mining companies say the problem is due to an aging population, low birth rate, competing sectors and a former lull in the mining industry.
Half of Canadian mining workers are already 40 to 54. Employers predict that 24.5% of their current workers will retire within 10 years; employees say that number is in fact substantially higher: 40%. In Saskatchewan, most skilled mining employees are also rapidly advancing toward retirement.
PotashCorp has not yet experienced a great gap, but signs are evident. “Most of our turnover comes from retirement,” said Lee Knafelc, Director of Industrial Relations and People Development, PotashCorp. “In Saskatchewan, we currently have two employees with over 40 years of service, and 68 employees with 35-40 years of service.” PotashCorp’s service average is 18 years of service and age average is 45.
Further south, LUSCAR LTD. also retains employees long-term. Sherry Quirk, Human Resources-Safety Manager says the company generally has not experienced hiring and retention challenges in Saskatchewan, but “Hiring journeymen (industrial mechanics) has created an issue at times. However,” she added, “we have an excellent apprenticeship program at the mine.”
In northern Saskatchewan, demographics are much different than the rest of the province. A combination of a high youth population, lower average education, and less available work created a 24% employment rate – four times the provincial rate. Only 54% of the north’s working-age population is working or actively looking for work, compared to 68% province-wide. More than 1,200 people from northern Saskatchewan fill more than half the mining sector jobs, but enough skilled labourers are simply not available.
“The biggest challenge is skilled trades – millwrights, electricians, geologists,” said Neil McMillan, President and CEO, Claude Resources Inc. “You’ve got highly experienced miners who are in their mid-40s and older. There is a group from age 25 to 45 that really hasn’t had much encouragement or opportunity to participate in the mining business for the last 20 years. So there’s a hole there.”
Walter Smith, Supervisor, Northern Community Relations, Cameco Corporation tells of 10-month-long open positions for engineers and experienced senior level people. However, like other companies in this provincial sector, “Our turnover is low,” said Smith. “Once we get them in, we tend to keep them.”
As competitive opportunities arise elsewhere, that trend is changing. “We are now starting to experience a turnover in the management, the supervisory and the technical people,” he said.
The problems began with an industry lull. “When the mining sector was so bad,” said Smith. “Geologists went to the oil and gas patch. [As well,] there was no enthusiasm among students to go into geology because it was a bleak job prospect. One very substantial geology program at university – a four-year Bachelor of Science – at one point had only three students.”
With most metal and mineral prices experiencing all time highs, that lull is now over. Exploration expenditures soared from $30 million three years ago to an expected $200 million this year. “That is driven by geologists,” said McMillan. “When you see nearly a tenfold increase in the spending, you need nearly a tenfold increase in the number of geologists.”
Saskatchewan companies also face stiff competition from the oil and gas and diamond sectors in other provinces.
A three-year oil price increase of $20 to $70 resulted in a $100 billion capital expenditure at Fort MacMurray. Consequently, says McMillan, “They can consume every single tradesman in Western Canada in short order.”
“We had an electrician just poached away from us,” he added. “He had been offered 15% more money to go to the Northwest Territories. We said, ‘Well you’re the future of our operation, we’ll match it. We’ll give you a 15% raise.’ Then we had to give everybody else in the electrical department a 15% raise.”
The NWT company doubled its offer to 30%; the electrician packed his bags.
“We had five people go [to the Fort McMurray oil sands projects,]” said Smith, “but we have literally three thousand people at work.”
Many employees working near established communities are satisfied not to roam. “They are closer to home or the cost of living is lower so they can make the same money or slightly less money living in Saskatchewan. Or they like the lifestyle of living two weeks in and two weeks out,” said McMillan.
Knafelc says PotashCorp’s community involvement and the chance to advance locally keeps most employees from straying. With its central Saskatchewan location, the company can draw on local skilled labour. “There has been a pretty decent balance of people who are willing to come out to those areas or people or who have the skills that are already in rural Saskatchewan and want to stay,” he said.
“We don’t have any issues with people . . . rooted in their communities,” said Smith. “Some of the ones that have that leadership potential could probably become supervisors for other places, but they are not interested.”
Of those who leave, he added, “Some want to come back after a very short time frame – after they have experienced the lifestyle and the insanity of working over there.
At Claude Resources, some employees who heeded the siren call of higher wages returned after just three months. “They said it isn’t worth it,” said McMillan. “We’ve already had two key employees who had gone up north [and] come back.”
Because its mine operations are in northern Saskatchewan, “People from the north [have] proven to be Cameco’s most reliable workforce,” said Smith. “They get settled and move into their communities. They tell their children that it’s a good place to work and they become our future employees. [The children] want more than their parents had so they want to become professionals or supervisors.
“One of the huge strengths of this industry is the way it does develop from within,” said Knafelc. “Whether that be someone with an operational labouring background moving up to supervisory ranks or someone in an engineering role being advanced into a management function, those are really key parts of the success and have been for a long time.”
To meet the growing demand for skilled employees, all of the companies offer internal or external training programs. This advancement opportunity enhances employee satisfaction and creates a base of loyal, skilled employees already familiar with the company. But training takes time.
“The solution has to be long term,” said McMillan. “It takes about three or four years to get a really competent millwright, for example, through his training program.”
Companies have now set their sites on the deepest resource pool – youth. “We are thinking at Cigar Lake, ‘how could we take these grade twelve and these pre-employment people that have done their work and get them the apprenticeship time that they need so they can become our future trades workforce?’” said Smith. “And if we can’t use them now, well maybe Fort McMurray can borrow them for a while until we need them.”
Some companies hire summer students, then pay their tuition or provide benefits in exchange for a commitment that the students will return when they graduate. SIAST offers mobile training units for some skilled technical positions. Semi-trailers are outfitted as mobile classrooms and set up in local communities to train machinists, welders, and others.
Smith says everyone needs to encourage these changes. “Keep pushing for more math and sciences in the school,” he said. “Anything that the northern communities can do to keep their kids in school and keep increasing the math and science aspect of their educational programming, give us a call. Cameco would be happy to help.”
Hiring Aboriginals priority
De Beers Canada Inc. has released its 2005 Snap Lake Socio-Economic Report required as part of the Socio-Economic Agreement (SEA) with the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Annual Report summarizes the initiatives taken by De Beers Canada in 2005 for the Construction Phase of the Snap Lake Project.
Despite an ever tightening labour market, De Beers and its contractors reached an average of 41% NWT resident employment during 2005, just exceeding the target of 40%, as outlined in the Socio-Economic Agreement. De Beers and its contractors hired 333 workers during May to December of 2005. In total, NWT residents comprised 44% of the new hires, while 25% of new hires were of Aboriginal descent.
"We've established Aboriginal employees as the highest hiring priority and we are seeing results," said Chantal Lavoie, Vice President for NWT Projects. "Aboriginal employees made up 17% of the total workforce in 2005, and filled 13% of the management, professional and skilled jobs.
De Beers encourages the employment of women especially in management and professional and skilled positions. De Beers and its contractors provided an average of 41 positions to women. In total, 18% of the Snap Lake workforce were women and over 75% of the women employed were in management, professional or skilled occupations.
"Throughout 2005, significant effort was made by De Beers to ensure the involvement by NWT and Aboriginal businesses in the contracting and procurement processes," said Chantal Lavoie, Vice President of NWT Projects.
"These efforts resulted in the company exceeding the 35% NWT purchase target for construction expenditures in 2005. NWT and Aboriginal businesses continue to play an important part in our project's success."
As of December 15, 2005 De Beers had purchased $144,992,230 in goods and services associated with the construction of Snap Lake. Of that expenditure, $84,080,865 (58%) was spent with the NWT business community, and of that NWT Expenditure, $62,370,164 (74%) was purchased with Aboriginal businesses.
One of the ways that De Beers makes lasting contributions is through donations and in-kind support for events, initiatives and activities. In 2005, just over $350,000 was spent in the NWT by De Beers on social investment opportunities that improved quality of community life, contributed to capacity building and that developed skills. 59% of that expenditure was on skills development, 21% on literacy and education, 16% on community initiatives and 4% on industry related initiatives. The full report is available on De Beers Canada's website at www.debeerscanada.com.
The Snap Lake Project is located 220 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife and will be the first diamond mine in Canada for De Beers. The Snap Lake Mine will provide employment for 500 during operations and will produce 1.5 million carats per year when in full production. The mine will commence production in October 2007.