Stories & insights
On Sunday, October 10, dozens of piping hot Thanksgiving dinners - turkey with all of the trimmings - were delivered to health care staff in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Canadian Thanksgiving is today, Monday, October 11.
The dinners were courtesy of Gahcho Kué Mine, a joint venture between De Beers Group and Mountain Province Diamonds. This small gesture was our way of saying thanks to the health care workers for helping keep people healthy and safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Altogether, 140 dinners were delivered to staff working at Stanton Territorial Hospital, and four other locations around the city. Another 60 dinners were also provided to the Homeless Drop-in Centre in Yellowknife.
Kelly Brenton, Social Performance Manager for Gahcho Kué said, “Since August, medical professionals and support staff have worked tirelessly to manage a record number of Covid-19 cases throughout the NWT. What better way to say thank you than to provide a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to people who are hard at work on Thanksgiving weekend and can’t be at home with their families.”
The meals of turkey breast, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, and roasted vegetables were prepared by the staff at the Copperhouse restaurant. They began preparations for the meal service on Friday, peeling 200 pounds of potatoes, preparing eight cases of turkey, and mixing up their special recipe of cranberry sauce.
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Paul Henry from the Copperhouse said: “When De Beers called to ask if we could do this, we were all in right away. We have a couple of community organizations that we support, including the hospital and health care workers.”
The dinners were well received.
Kim Riles, CEO of NWT Health and Social Services Association (NTHSSA) said: “Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of the NTHSSA staff who were able to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal provided by De Beers Canada over the holiday weekend. Nearly 150 staff and physicians were on duty in Yellowknife over the holiday, working hard to contain the current outbreak, and to care for residents hospitalized with Covid-19 and other health conditions. This was a meaningful gesture of support for our frontline workforce at a time when the pressures on the healthcare system are weighing heavy – a true act of thanksgiving.”
Gahcho Kué mine is a joint venture between De Beers Group (51% - the Operator) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%). The operation is located 280 km northeast of Yellowknife and recently marked the fifth anniversary of its opening and surpassed three years without a lost time injury.