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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
As Diavik Diamond Mine prepares to close its last remaining open-pit mine as it transitions to a fully underground operation, the company is working to find other work for employees who will be displaced.

There are 26 employees of the Inuit and Dene Company (I&D) who will be laid off if no alternate work can be found before the last operational open-pit mine closes, which is scheduled to happen within the next two weeks, said Niels Kristensen, president and CEO of Diavik Diamond Mines Inc.

"The anticipated closing of the remaining A-418 pit was known many years ago and we have been working very closely with our aboriginal business partner during that time," said Kristensen.

I&D has supplied workers to operate Diavik's open pit mining operations for a number of years, he said, and Diavik has been working with the company to re-train these workers or find them new positions when the open pit closes.

"They are not directly our own employees, but they are very much a part of the extended Diavik family," said Kristensen. "We treat people fairly, with respect. That's just the way we work at Diavik. Whether it's our own employees or the employees of one of our business partners."

At its peak operations during 2010, there were about 145 I&D employees working in the open pits, said Kristensen. Of those, roughly 100 workers have already been redeployed, retrained or re-skilled and have found new work, some within the company and others at various other jobs within the territory, he said.

At press time, 46 I&D employees were still working in the open pit. Twenty of those employees will be moved to other positions within Diavik, said Kristensen.

"We're still looking to increase that number," he said.

In 2010, there were two open-pit mines in operation at Diavik. The first pit, A-154, was closed in December 2010. Also in 2010, Diavik mined its first tonnage of material from its new underground operation on the site.

When the final open pit is decommissioned later this month, Diavik Diamond Mines will become a fully underground mining operation.

- Please see page 21 for related story.

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