The Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories is on the vergeof hiring 150 new employees as it starts moving its operationsunderground in the new year.
The mine will begin phasing out its current open-pit miningoperations and building its underground mining project early in the newyear, with the goal of being entirely underground by 2012.
The two-year transition from open pit to underground will cost $800million and require building everything from underground tunnels toexpanding the mine's water treatment and power plants above ground.
"So there's a lot of work involved on [the] surface and underground.Part of that is hiring," Diavik spokesman Doug Ashbury told CBC News onWednesday.
Northern, aboriginal workers targeted
Ashbury said Diavik promises to make northern residents and aboriginal people an important part of the upcoming round of hiring.
Diavik will also target people who want to gain valuable miningexperience: Ashbury said 25 of the 150 new jobs will be entry-levelpositions, and training will be offered to those who are starting out.
The beginner workers start at what the mine calls the "miner five"level and will work their way up towards "miner one" status, he added.
"As the 'miner five' entry level individual gets more experience,that opens up a new opportunity for another individual," Ashbury said.
"So over time, over two to three years, our plan will have our northern workforce numbers get stronger and stronger."
Recession delayed plans
TheDiavik diamond mine is located in the Lac de Gras area, about 300kilometres northeast of Yellowknife. One of three diamond mines in theN.W.T., it went into production in 2003.
Diavik, a division of Rio Tinto PLC, owns 60 per cent of the Diavik site, with the remainder held by Harry Winston.
Mine officials had planned to begin the transition from open-pitmining to underground mining last year, but the global recession heldthose plans back.
Ashbury said the company cannot wait any longer given the open pits are nearing the end of their lifespans.
The mine will operate both the open pit and underground mines over the two-year transition period.