Stephan Burnett
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 24/04) - After years of study by industry and prior political announcements, the money to train upwards of 400 aboriginals living in the NWT for mining jobs became a reality on May 18.

Overall funding for the Skills Development Canada program is close to $40 million over the next four years, with contributions being made by aboriginal groups, industry, the NWT government and by the federal government.

The agreement is the culmination of a number of years worth of in-depth study, said Glenn Zelinski, manager of trades and labour development with Diavik Diamond Mines.

"In 1996 we first started to look into mine training and a number of us travelled by Twin Otter and flew into Lutsel K'e and down to northern Saskatchewan to look at the northern Saskatchewan model," said Zelinski.

Two years ago Diavik went back to northern Saskatchewan to provide a report on their progress.

"We're moving forward," said Zelinski.

Close to $15 million of the funds come from the federal government's contribution through the Aboriginal Skills Employment Partnership, an $85-million envelope of funding which was originally announced in Inuvik last October.

Another $5.5 million will come from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

A $14.8 million contribution comes from industry partners Diavik, De Beers Canada and BHP Billiton through cash and in-kind donations.

The GNWT and the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreement will contribute $2.4 million each.

Aboriginal partners include the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Dogrib Treaty 11 Council (Tlicho), Lutsel K'e Dene Council and the North Slave Metis Alliance.

Many students

At the May 18 press conference, Dogrib Grand Chief Joe Rabesca made reference to a prior statement from NWT Premier Joe Handley that without the diamond mining industry the territories would be very poor.

"About seven years ago I had five students down south. I told industry to come to our schools and now we have between 150 and 170 students down south," he said.

He credits visits from companies like Diavik, BHP Billiton and De Beers for the upswing in post-secondary education.

Now when Rabesca looks around his community he sees new vehicles and housing improvements.

"People are happy. If it wasn't for these three companies (BHP, Diavik and De Beers) this couldn't have happened," he said.

Courses in underground mining will be offered through Aurora College, said Education Culture and Employment spokeswoman Sue Glowach.

There is also a possibility that a centre for mining studies could eventually be set up in the NWT.