SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A quarter century after Det'on Cho Corporation started with a $15,000 grant, the economic arm of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation today generates $87 million in annual revenues.
Vince Halushka, general manager of the Vital Abel Boarding Home, left, and Roy Erasmus Jr., CEO of Det'on Cho Corporation, present Kay Lews, CEO of Stanton Territorial Health Authority, with a Prosperity Award on Friday at the Smokehouse Cafe in Ndilo. - Thandiwe Vela/NNSL photo
|
Four clients that have contributed to the exponential growth of the corporation over the years were recognized last Friday at the Smokehouse Cafe in Ndilo, where Det'on Cho held its first ever Prosperity Awards ceremony.
The ceremonial drum was presented at the inaugural event to recipients from the Stanton Territorial Health Authority, Diavik Diamond Mine, De Beers, and the GNWT Department of Transportation.
"We're very proud, very honoured to be a recipient today," said Niels Kristensen, president and chief operating officer of Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., which was recognized for helping build Det'on Cho's catering company Bouwa Whee Catering, which today supplies food and other camp services to the mine.
"Many, many years from now, the last diamond will be extracted at Diavik, but Bouwa Whee will live on. The company that we worked together to create will live on, those jobs will live on, and that capacity has been built."
Transportation Minister David Ramsay spoke on behalf of the GNWT at the awards ceremony.
"We know that partnerships and capacity-building work to make sure that the aboriginal people of the Northwest Territories enjoy a fair share of the benefits from economic growth and development here in our territory," Ramsay said. "That's why we strongly encourage mining companies to enter into impact benefit agreements with local communities."
Snap Lake Diamond Mine owner De Beers, which is also developing the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine also received a Prosperity Award. De Beers has hired Det'on Cho Logistics to handle expediting and logistics for Snap Lake for several years.
Stanton was recognized as one of Det'on Cho's first clients. The health authority awarded the corporation the contract to build the Vital Abel Boarding Home in 1988. Det'on Cho company We Le Dai Corporation continues to operate the health travel accommodation services in Ndilo today.
The Department of Transportation rounded out the four award recipients, recognized for a partnership with Det'on Cho that has included multimillion-dollar contracts to build the Dettah access road and construction of the Highway 4 realignment.
"Each has been more than just a client. They have been our partners," said Det'on Cho CEO Roy Erasmus Jr. "Over the course of the past 25 years, each of our award recipients has helped Det'on Cho to develop our business. They took chances, had faith in our abilities, and helped us develop our capacity to stand on our own. I think each will agree that that faith has been rewarded."
