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De Beers Canada safely delivered another comprehensive winter road resupply program that saw more than 1,900 truckloads of cargo and 58.6 million litres of fuel overcome harsh weather issues to support our remote mine sites in the Northwest Territories and northern Ontario.

The 61-day program period using two ice roads totaling more than 800kms in length was a safety success with zero injuries.

This logistical feat by the employees and contract partners at Victor and Gahcho Kué mines also saw an 258 truckloads of material backhauled from the sites for recycling, donations and other reasons such as safe disposal.

In the Northwest Territories, De Beers is a member of the Tibbitt-to-Contwoyto Winter Road Joint Venture that operates the main trunk ice road connecting three remote NWT mines to the all-season road network near Yellowknife. As part of the program, De Beers also built and maintained a 120 km spur road connecting Gahcho Kué Mine to the main ice road. First loads went out January 29 and final loads arrived March 31.

In northern Ontario, materials are hauled across a 400 km winter road linking Victor Mine to Moosonee. De Beers provides financial support for the construction and maintenance of the 300km public ice road between Moosonee and Attawapiskat First Nation, with De Beers also constructing an additional 50 km section from Attawapiskat to the mine. The first loads arrived at the mine on February 1, while the final loads arrived at site on March 15.

Winter storms were a challenge for both regions this year, closing the Gahcho Kué Mine spur road for 9.5 days and the Victor Mine Winter Road for 11 days.

Some of the unique and larger items going up the NWT ice road to Gahcho Kué included a massive new mining shovel that required multiple loads, three new 830E haul trucks and a Pit Viper drill rig for the mining team. In addition, a new fuel truck and 450,000 litres of jet fuel were brought in to support refueling of aircraft on site.

At Victor Mine, a new excavator and pickup trucks for use in reclamation work were among the key items sent to the site. Included among the backhaul loads were four sea can containers that were donated to Fort Albany First Nation.