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Despite being just three months into commercial production, the Gahcho Kué Mine Rescue Team was the top performing mine at the annual NWT/Nunavut Mine Rescue Competition in Yellowknife June 9-10, winning four categories plus the top award of the best Overall Surface Mine Rescue team. The five awards for Gahcho Kué were the most of any mining operation in the competition.
The seven-person competition team, featuring both males and females, was representing more than 40 other colleagues who also volunteer as Emergency Responders at the remote mine in the Northwest Territories.
For the first time ever, De Beers Victor Mine participated in the competition and captured the Surface Obstacle category. The Victor Mine, located in northern Ontario and recently honoured with its second straight John T. Ryan National Safety Award, was invited to participate in the competition by the organizers because there is no Surface Mine Rescue Competition in Ontario.
De Beers Canada Chief Executive Kim Truter says both teams have a lot to be proud of. “To win six of the eight categories we were eligible for is an outstanding achievement and really demonstrates that our commitment to safety at De Beers goes beyond just words,” said Truter. “Our Victor Mine’s safety performance has been the best in the country for the last two years and this reinforces their reputation as a world-class operation. For Gahcho Kué to win so many categories so early into their mine life is a tremendous indication that the team is definitely building their own best-in-class safety culture. Our teams also had the most female representation in the competition – which reflects well on our focus on gender diversity and inclusion as a group.”
Gahcho Kué Mine General Manager Allan Rodel said the men and women representing the young mine are setting the bar very high when it comes to safety performance. “The Gahcho Kué team has worked extremely hard to prepare for this competition, with many long hours on their own time to enhance their training and knowledge,” said Rodel. “There are so many achievements to celebrate as a result of this competition, but perhaps most satisfying for me is how quickly our team has pulled together in less than a year to work as one cohesive professional unit, giving our entire workforce confidence that our mine can provide a safe and secure environment for all those who spend much of their time away from home.”
Last year when Gahcho Kué was still in the final stages of construction and commissioning, the mine rescue team won two categories at the competition.
Victor Mine General Manager James Kirby praised his team for winning an event in their first-ever competition, especially with just three week to prepare. “Our team from Victor Mine was rewarded for the great hard work they put into preparing for this competition and the overall event was awesome”, said Kirby. “We wish to thank the organizers for their gracious invitation that allowed us to participate with these other professional teams and we’ll look to build on this for future competitions”.
With this year’s title as Overall Surface Mine winners, the Gahcho Kué team now qualifies for the National Western Region Mine Rescue Competition in Fernie, B.C. on September 8-9, 2017.