GAHCHO WAS ALSO MENTIONED....GAHCHO KUE WAS MENTIONED IN THE EDITORIAL OF THIS WEEK'S NORTHERN NEWS: www.nnsl.com
As good as gold
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"If it weren't for Sister Sutherland, I don't know what I'd do."
The gold mines that drove Yellowknife's economy may have closed but mining remains a mainstay of our economy.
Consider these facts:
- in 2005, mining and oil and gas industries invested $1.06 billion in the NWT;
- $1.683 billion worth of diamonds were pulled from the ground; and,
- mining and oil and gas account for 9.8 per cent of all the jobs in the NWT.
Ekati and Diavik diamond mines have replaced the lost gold jobs and soon, De Beers' Snap Lake mine will provide even more wealth. A fourth NWT diamond mine, De Beers' Gahcho Kue, is not too far in the future.
This week, more than 800 leaders of the mining industry are gathered in Yellowknife for the 33rd annual Geoscience Forum. They will talk about new developments, share knowledge and socialize.
We hope they are having a great time, because mining remains an important part of Yellowknife.