De Beers has been active in Canada for nearly 50 years, growing from a small group of geologists in the field to having multiple offices and operations across the country.  De Beers has two producing mines, one advanced exploration project and a targeted exploration strategy within Canada:

• Snap Lake Mine in the Northwest Territories is operational
• Victor Mine in northern Ontario is operational
• Gahcho Kué Project in the Northwest Territories is a joint venture with Mountain Province Diamonds.The Environmental Impact Statement was submitted to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board in December 2010. Gahcho Kué will be the second diamond mine in the Northwest Territories for De Beers if permitted and if approved.
• Exploration activities are targeted around the Victor Mine

De Beers Canada is committed to sustainable development. Addressing sustainability issues means enhancing our relationship with host and partner governments, building consumer confidence in diamonds, and ensuring our activities contribute positively to the livelihoods of both present and future generations. Read more about Sustainability Initiatives in Canada>

Snap Lake Mine, Northwest Territories
The Snap Lake Mine, De Beers’ first mine outside of Africa, is unique in Canada. Built on the shore of Snap Lake, 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, the mine is Canada’s first completely underground diamond mine. Read more about Snap Lake>  

Victor Mine, Ontario
The Victor Mine is located in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario, approximately 90 km west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat First Nation. It is Ontario’s first diamond mine and the second in Canada for De Beers. Read more about the Victor Mine>

Gahcho Kué Project, Northwest Territories
The Gahcho Kué project is located 90 km southeast of the Snap Lake Mine and approximately 300 km northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Gahcho Kué is a joint venture between De Beers Canada Inc. (51%) and Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. (49%). Read more about Gahcho Kué>

Victor Extension
Victor Main is one of a cluster of 16 previously identified diamond-bearing pipes discovered by De Beers in 1987-88 and is the ore body that is now Victor Mine, producing some of the most remarkable rough diamonds in the world.  The pit also includes Victor Southwest, located in the bottom half of the pit below Victor Main.

In 2010, the focus of the Exploration team in Canada has been on value growth, concentrating on developing new resources at Victor Mine by assisting in geological modelling, diamond breakage studies, grade control studies and discovering new ore bodies.

Read more about De Beers Canada's Mining Operations>

Click here to read De Beers Canada's Operating & Financial Review for 2010>