The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.
ATTAWAPISKAT – The people behind the latest blockade on the ice road to Victor diamond mine are demanding Tony Guthrie, president of De Beers Canada, sign an agreement with the demonstrators.
However, a company spokesman said that is unlikely to happen. Tom Ormsby, director of external and corporate affairs, told The Daily Press the company already has dispute-settlement procedures in place and agreed to review with community members the benefit agreement package signed with the First Nation as recent as this past summer.
Ormsby said latest demand runs âcontraryâ to previous agreements they have made with the community. âThis is a new set of requests that doesnât align with what weâve agreed to.â
The demonstrators are demanding the creation of a âjoint dispute resolution committeeâ that would address issues such as employment and training, housing, and compensation for community members whose traplines are located near the mine site.
The demands were faxed to the company. The blockade, located at a turnoff about 100 kilometres from the Victor mine, remains in place despite the fact De Beers won a court injunction in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday prohibiting anyone from obstructing access to the south winter ice road leading to the mine site.