SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Now it's official. With commercial production started earlier this year, De Beers Canada's Snap Lake mine - the first fully underground diamond mine in Canada - is now 100 per cent operational.

A miner works the controls of a roof bolter as he manoeuvres a piece of screen in place underground at De Beers Canada's Snap Lake Mine, which will be officially opened at a ceremony Friday. - photo courtesy of De Beers Canada

To celebrate, this Friday De Beers will fly nearly 100 visitors, mostly contractors who have helped construct the mine, for a day's worth of events.

"It's a pause and an opportunity for De Beers to thank all of our contractors who have constructed it, to thank our permanent contractors who are working with us now for the life of the mine, and in particular to celebrate our accomplishment with employees," said Cathie Bolstad, NWT spokesperson for De Beers.

In February, Bolstad stated the capital costs of the project to total $975 million.

"We are going to start our day in the Dene tradition of celebrating something special," said Bolstad of Friday's lineup.

"We will have a feed the fire ceremony with elders, in the centre of the site, where everybody who sees the fire burn for the day knows there's something special there."

That will be followed by a tour of the site and a ceremony to declare the mine officially open, then a private celebration for workers and contractors.

The Snap Lake ore body was purchased by De Beers from Winspear Diamonds in 2000. The permits to build and operate the mine were obtained in May 2004.

The mine employs about 560 workers, with around 400 people on the site at any time, and has a mine life of about 20 years.

Despite a decision earlier this year to take an impairment charge of $965 million on its Canadian assets, including Snap Lake, De Beers still expects to produce 1.5 million carats per year at the underground mine, according to Bolstad.

"The impairment on De Beers' Canadian assets (both Snap Lake and the Victor mine in Northern Ontario) allows both mines in Canada to commence production as cash-positive operations," said Bolstad in February.

The mine was home to several trainees - including three graduates of a Status of Women Council pilot project aimed at boosting female participation in mining-related trades - to both sharpen their skills and help ready the site for this Friday's ceremony.

One of the graduates, Pangnirtung-born Sarah Tautuajuk, just got back last week from site, where she spent four weeks.

While there, she helped build benches and a stage for the ceremony, among other projects.

Tautuajuk, who hopes to work as a carpenter in Yellowknife, said she found her time on-site valuable.

"The schooling we took was just the tip of the iceberg," said Tautuajuk. "There's a lot more to learn out there than just being in the classroom."