It’s common for mankind to place each other in stereotypical boxes. The citizens in this country are stereotypically known to be hockey-loving people and to apologise (a lot!). Beyond the stereotypes, the country is also known for glowing phenomena, such as the Northern Lights, and the 10,000,000 tonnes of glowing minerals under a mine that is 55 million years old. Ironically, both can be found in the brightest capital of the northern region of this country, giving a whole new meaning to ‘glowing.’
Redefining the glow of Canada
In the Northwest Territories, you will find a lot of snow and extremely low temperatures, but despite this, its capital has the most summer sunshine in the whole country. According to the City of Yellowknife’s official website, the Northwest Territories capital is the ultimate spot in Canada to glimpse the glowing phenomenon, the Northern Lights. This region is glowing all over, even its 55-million-year-old mine.
A Rio Tinto company partnered up with Dominion Diamond Diavik Limited Partnership for a mining venture in Yellowknife. The mine itself is located 300 km northeast of Yellowknife on an island under the lake Lac de Gras. Commercial operations officially kicked off in January 2003 and still continue today due to its glowing minerals. However, long before its construction in 2000, these minerals formed millions of years ago thanks to kimberlite.
Made under pressure for a very, very long time
Now, many of you may never have heard of ‘kimberlite’ before today. According to Britannica, kimberlite is a dark and heavy plutonic rock that comprises luminous gemstones in its matrix. Kimberlite plays a crucial role, along with lamproite, in transferring a luminous gemstone to the Earth’s crust via magmatic intrusions that become solid and form pipe-like systems.
According to Crater Explorer, the same goes for the extremely old mine in Yellowknife, as its kimberlite pipelines were formed 55 million years ago due to volcanic activity that released kimberlite magma to the crust, and this resulted in the current partnership mining its precious gemstones. If you haven’t guessed it yet, then hold onto your horses. These dark and heavy plutonic rocks consist of a girl’s best friend, diamonds. Diavik’s Diamond Mine is glowing indeed!
It’s big, it’s glowing, and it’s extremely valuable
Diavik’s Diamond Mine kimberlite pipes are crucial sources of diamonds. Per the Northern Miner, the biggest pipe, A-154 South, is nearly 10.2 million tonnes of kimberlite and will result in 49.1 million carats of diamonds. In 2000, WWW International Diamond Consultants valued these diamonds at US$79 per carat – according to the math, that is a lot of money!
The mining venture resulted in so much more than diamonds and led to many advantages for the local communities, including:
- Providing training, employment, scholarship programs, and business ventures for local Aboriginal citizens since 1999, including the:
- Tlicho Government (formerly Dogrib Treaty 11 Council)
- Yellowknife Dene First Nation
- North Slave Metis Alliance
- Kitikmeot Inuit Association
- Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation
- Creation of 997 jobs for locals at the end of 2013, of which 485 were from the Northwest Territories or the West Kitikmeot region of Nunavut
- Establishing an environmental management system to protect caribou and other wildlife, as well as water and fish habitat
- Cultural Awareness, Community Well-Being, and Employee Wellness programs were implemented, such as:
- financial donations and scholarships
- cultural and drug, and alcohol awareness workshops
- mine tours for Aboriginal elders, women, and students
Diavik has shown its commitment to the local community and environment. Unfortunately, mining procedures do come with their disadvantages, which is why YKDFN kept Diavik on its toes as the company tried to apply for a change to its water license. YKDFN plays a crucial role in ensuring that the local ecosystem is protected and that the land is managed adequately.