DiavikDiamond Mines says it will hire 150 new workers over the next twoyears, as it transitions from open-pit to underground mining.(CBC)
Peoplewho want to work at the Diavik diamond mine will have to live in theNorthwest Territories from now on, as part of the mine's push towards anorthern resident workforce.
Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. will no longer cover travel costs forsouthern-based employees flying between Edmonton and the mine for theirtwo weeks on, two weeks off shift rotations, the company announced in arelease late Wednesday.
Existing mine employees will continue to receive the travel benefit,but Edmonton will no longer be a pickup point for new hires.
Diavik discontinued the Edmonton pickup point in May on a trial basis.
"We've always supported a strong northern workforce and this is partof that overall commitment to the North," Diavik spokesman Doug Ashburytold CBC News.
"Two-thirds of our workforce live in the North, and we believe thatwe can continue that commitment, and we support that in many differentways."
34% aboriginal workforce
The Diavik diamond mine is about 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.
About 525 employees live in communities across the Northwest Territories and western Nunavut, according to the company.
But to date, 34 per cent of the mine's workforce is aboriginal, short of the 40 per cent target Diavik has committed to meeting.
Last week, Diavik announced it will hire 150 new workers as it movesfrom open-pit to underground mining over the next two years. What isnot clear is how many of those new workers will be aboriginal, Ashburysaid.
"There's different types of skills that are required to run anunderground mine," he said. "We have a plan, a progression plan, soapproximately 25 of that 150 will be entry-level positions."
Joint effort
N.W.T.Industry Minister Bob McLeod said he trusts that Diavik is doing itsbest to hire more northern and aboriginal workers, adding the companyis actually doing better than the territorial government on that front.
"This is a joint effort between our government and the miningindustry, and so we're doing a number of different initiatives toensure that northerners and northern aboriginal people get jobs,"McLeod said.
"We're looking at a number of different things. We've set sometargets. We're looking at improving transportation options betweenNorthwest Territories communities and the mine sites."
Diavik also announced Wednesday that the company has added FortSimpson to its existing list of N.W.T. communities where workers can bepicked up:
- Wekweeti.
- Gameti.
- Whati.
- Behchoko.
- Lutselk'e.
- Yellowknife.
- Hay River.
- Fort Smith.
Workers can also be picked up from Kuglukguk in western Nunavut.
The N.W.T. Mine Training Society says it wants to train another 36 northerners for entry-level mining positions before March.