Diavik releases 2011 annual socio-economic report

This news item originally came from the January 2012, Northern Mining News, published by the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines.

Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., operator of the Diavik Diamond Mine, has released its 2011 socioeconomic monitoring agreement report, which provides a detailed summary of northern training, employment, and business benefits.

Highlights include:

• Training: As part of the mine’s continuing commitment to support northerners in developing trade skills, Diavik and minesite contractors supported 34 apprentices in 2011. All are northern and 19 are Aboriginal. Additionally, four northerners successfully completed their apprenticeships bringing the total number of Diavik apprentices to have achieved journeyperson certification to 31.

• Employment: For the year, Diavik’s northern workforce averaged 642 people. Aboriginal employment averaged 313 people. These numbers are well above original feasibility projections. In 2011, Diavik hired 60 underground mining staff, including 42 northern workers. Of the northern hires, 24 are Aboriginal.

• Business: 2011 spending with northern business totalled $302.7 million, or 69 per cent of the $438.1 million total spent. Of the northern expenditures, $124.8 million was with Aboriginal business. Diavik’s cumulative spending with northern businesses since 2000 is now $3.8 billion, or 72 per cent of the total spent. Over $2 billion was spent with northern Aboriginal businesses and their joint ventures.

Download the full report here:

http://www.diavik.ca/documents/2011_socio_economic_monitoring_report.pdf and for further information on Diavik, visit the DDMI web site at www.diavik.ca.