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On March 5th, exactly 11 years to the day that De Beers Canada took control of operations at Victor Mine, the final haul truck brought the last load of ore from the pit to mark the end of mining activities at Ontario’s first and only diamond mine.
The honour of driving the last truck went to Nancy Wesley, of Kashechewan First Nation. She worked at Victor for 11 years, as a haul truck driver, dozer operator and production drill operator.
“Last haul truck out of Victor Mine,” Nancy called over the radio. At the top of the ramp, two dozen colleagues gathered to send her off.
“I remember when it started with small five metre benches at the top, and now when I drive down nearly 300 metres to the bottom I can see all the work we’ve done and it’s hard to believe,” said Bernard Trapper, a member of the Moose Cree First Nation. He started in 2008 as a haul truck driver and ended his career at Victor Mine as a mining supervisor.
Since 2008, an estimated 900,000 truckloads moved more than 88 million tonnes of rock and ore from the pit that now measures 1,000 metres long and 1,000 metres across.
“The mining department has been a pillar for the rest of the mine over the past couple of months,” said Alistair Skinner, Operations Manager. “They have done exactly what we needed to do and they gave their all to get the last of those tonnes out safely.”
During its life, Victor Mine won numerous local, national and international awards, including ‘International Mine of the Year’ in 2009, and the 2015 and 2016 John T. Ryan Awards as one of the safest mines in Canada. Most recently, the mine received the 2017 Eastern Region John T. Ryan Award, the 2018 Workplace Safety North President’s Award and a Workplace Excellence Award from Workplace Safety North.
Victor is ending production the way it began, with a strong safety and production performance.
Last year, the mine recorded 27 total injuries, no LTIs and 93% of days worked were injury free. So far in 2019, there have been just two injuries.
Forecast to produce six million carats during its life, the mine has already surpassed eight million carats thanks to a record 935,000 carats recovered during 2018 alone, 58% higher than the 2018 forecast. Victor will continue to process stockpiled ore until early May.
“That is something really special,” said Brian Kilbride, Senior Mining Manager, at an emotional final toolbox meeting with the mining team after the last ore was hauled from the pit. Kilbride has worked at Victor since before it went into operation. “I’m extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish in that pit and I think everybody has gained a lot of great skills that you can take anywhere in this country.”