Rankin Inlet (Jul 03/06) - Kitikmeot hamlets demand more involvement in Nunavut's only diamond mine. But not every one thinks that's a good idea.

"We want to participate, we don't want to be left standing on the sidelines," said the economic development officer for the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Chris King.

A committee was created to prepare an annual report on Tahera's Jericho Diamond Mine. The report is supposed to describe the mine's impact on Kitikmeot communities according to the Nunavut Impact Review Board's (NIRB) draft terms of reference for the committee.

But King said the Kitikmeot Socio-Economic Monitoring Committee is in no position to speak to the needs of Kitikmeot communities.

"It's ridiculous to exclude communities from a committee that is monitoring the effects of those communities," said King.

The socio-economic committee consists of the Government of Nunavut, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Kitikmeot Inuit Association.

"The Hamlet of Cambridge Bay is not looking to change the project, but rather learn from the process." King said there was confusion among the hamlets about their role with the socio-economic committee when it was first created but now hamlets want to be involved.

Communities are already represented through the impact benefit agreement signed by the KIA and Tahera Corporation in 2004, said the president of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, Donald Havioyak.

The original thinking, when the committee was in the early planning stages, was to include the closest communities to the Jericho property, said Greg Missal, Tahera's vice-president of government and regulatory affairs.

The committee could be cumbersome if all communities and groups in the Kitikmeot were included, said Missal.

"Larger groups make it harder to reach a consensus," he said, noting that Tahera itself isn't on the committee.

"It's up to the committee if they want us there. We'll certainly consider the invitation," said Missal, pointing out that it's the committee that decides who else will be involved.