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The closure of De Beers Group Victor Mine has resulted in a variety of items being donated to nearby James Bay Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario, Canada.
Two fire trucks, a fuel truck, tools and tool cabinets, televisions, building materials, shipping containers, mattresses, and other items were delivered to the communities over the past two years. As part of the mine closure process Attawapiskat, For Albany, Kashechewan and Moose Cree First Nations had priority opportunities to select surplus equipment for either donation or purchase.
Erik Madsen, Lead – Corporate Affairs for De Beers Group Managed Operations in Canada, said: “It was important that these surplus items could be used to benefit the communities close to Victor. We are especially pleased that two of the mine’s fire trucks will help elevate fire safety in the region.”
As a remote mine site, Victor had a highly trained award-winning volunteer Emergency Response Team outfitted with a variety of equipment that enabled team members to fight fires, perform automobile extrication, ice and water rescue, and provide first aid to injured colleagues. There was a fully equipped fire hall to house the gear, which included a 2006 pumper truck that was provided to Attawapiskat in March 2023 and a 1993 Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) truck that was delivered to the Moosonee Volunteer Fire Department in early 2022.
In a March 13, 2023 letter to De Beers, Pauline Tookate, Director of Operations for the Attawapiskat First Nation, said: “Attawapiskat Fire Department has been in need of an upgrade for many years. Attawapiskat Fire Department will be equipped with an adequate and reliable fire truck that will save lives."
Approximately 20 mattresses from the camp accommodations that were still in good condition, including some that have never been used, were provided to Randy Cota and his wife, Betty Crawford. Randy is a retired Ontario Provincial Police officer and his wife is a member of the Attawapiskat First Nation.
Randy said the mattresses were distributed to families in Attawapiskat and Moosonee: “This gift has made a great difference in the comfort for the families of the less fortunate. Some of the families are without quality sleeping in substandard conditions and with the donation has made a difference in their lives.”
Fifteen pieces of fitness equipment, including an elliptical machine, Stairmasters, treadmills and other cardio exercise equipment, weight machines and free weights, were provided to Chad Hookimaw. He has long dreamed of opening a fitness facility in his Attawapiskat hometown, and hopes to get a facility in operation in the community by the end of the year.
Chad said: “I started my first job at Victor in 2009 right after I graduated from high school and I have done a number of jobs here at the mine. Right now I am working for Kataquapit Freight Services (at the Victor closure site). Fitness is important for everyone. I enjoy a workout after work to relieve a lot of stress, get my mind off a lot of things I do not have control over, and I am sure a lot of others feel and do the same.”
Other surplus equipment from Victor, including haul trucks, a grader, loaders, pickup trucks and more, will be auctioned by TCL Asset Group during a two-day event in July.