31 May 2019
Today De Beers Group - Canada and Mountain Province Diamonds released the Gahcho Kué Mine Socio-Economic Report: Building Forever 2018, highlighting that the number of Northwest Territories residents employed at joint venture Gahcho Kué Mine rose by 12% in 2018 compared to the previous year.
The mine provided 527 person years of employment during the year, of whom 265, or 50%, live in the NWT, an increase of 29 over 2017. This includes both De Beers Group and contractor employees.
“Our commitment to contributing to local communities is expressed through jobs, spending with northern businesses and corporate social investment. It is encouraging to see Gahcho Kué improving each year, establishing a solid foundation for a long-term positive impact in the Northwest Territories,” said Kim Truter, De Beers Group CEO, Canada.
The report also shows:
• 26% of all Gahcho Kué Mine employees are Indigenous residents of the NWT;
• the number of women working at the mine increased to 20% of the total workforce;
• 72% of the $291 million spent on goods and services during 2018 was with NWT and Indigenous companies, well above the 60% commitment made in the Socio-Economic Agreement with the Government of the Northwest Territories;
• $530,000 was spent in communities through corporate social investment programs;
• mine employees took part in a total of 24,000 hours of training;
• 13 NWT residents were hired into training positions at the mine, six in the process plant, five in mining and two in apprenticeship positions; and,
• a number of initiatives were launched during the year aimed to support employee wellness, including a weight management program and a visit by a sleep expert to help employees manage shift work, among others.