De Beers Canada

De Beers has been exploring for diamonds in Canada for over 40 years, growing from a small group of geologists in the field to having offices and operations that span the nation.

By building relationships with all levels of government, local communities and joint venture partners, we now have projects in various stages of development, and numerous exploration activities that take us from the grasslands of the prairies to the tundra of the high arctic.

Snap Lake is De Beers’ first diamond mine outside of Africa and Canada’s first completely underground mine. Victor is the province of Ontario’s first diamond mine.

De Beers Canada is committed to sustainable development. We invest in aboriginal literacy programs, and education and training initiatives by bringing books and supplies to school children and building and funding the training facilities that will provide current, transferable skills to remote communities.

Snap Lake Mine, Northwest Territories
Construction of the process plant, utilities and service buildings and related infrastructure, was close to completion by year end. Commissioning of the main process plant began ahead of schedule, with the first diamonds being produced in August 2007.

Victor Mine, Ontario
The Victor team is to be commended for completing site construction with an aggressive timetable to advance production by more than six months.

This was achieved without compromising safety, health or environmental standards, as evidenced by the Victor team surpassing 3 million hours without a lost time injury. Victor’s processing plant is fully operational.

Gahcho Kué Project, Northwest Territories
The decision by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB) to refer the Gahcho Kué Project to a panel review was reviewed by the NWT Supreme Court and the MVEIRB decision upheld in the spring. This decision provided clarity and enabled the permitting process to move forward.

The Review Panel was appointed, terms of reference for the Panel were established and the company recommenced engagement with communities by hosting a number of site visits, public meetings and community open houses.

Work to collect environmental and socio-economic baseline information continued throughout the year in preparation for the submission of a detailed project description and environmental impact statement that will meet the terms of reference.

Canada is currently one of the world’s leading rough diamond producers by value, and is expected to increase that value by 40% when the Snap Lake and Victor Mines are in full production.

Snap Lake is expected to produce up to 1.2 million carats per year with an approximate value of US$140 per carat, while Victor will produce up to 600,000 carats per year with an approximate value of US$450 per carat.

De Beers Canada signed a new agreement with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) for the proposed Gahcho Kué Project, confirming that 10% of De Beers’ future rough diamond production from Gahcho Kué will be made available to support the local secondary industry.

This agreement builds on the company’s agreement with the GNWT to supply rough diamonds from the Snap Lake Mine to local cutting and polishing factories.