November 22, 2018

A Guest Feature From the Diamond Producers Association 

Many people begin their day with a car, bus or subway ride to the office. But for workers at the Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT), chances are they’ll go by plane.

It’s a 320+ km journey from city to mine.  The route is easily accessible by air or, for two of the coldest months of the year, via an ice road where truckers ferry vital supplies over frozen lakes.

Mine workers take a chartered flight from Yellowknife, the capital city of this vast northern region of Canada, arriving on a landing strip located just 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle. There, they board school buses to the mine’s modest campus—their last leg of the journey before work begins.

But travel time isn’t wasted. Kimi Balsillie, an environmental officer at De Beers’ Gahcho Kué mine, uses it to update workers on onsite safety. Balsillie personifies how diamond mining has changed the region for the better.

Balsillie grew up in Yellowknife. Balsillie is Métis - descended from the First Nations people and early European settlers. Her upbringing informed her respect for the land as much as her education in environmental science.

Her work today is a testament to the industry’s respect for the vast, mineral-rich land where it mines the world’s most precious gems.

When diamond mines began producing in the late-‘90s, exacting rules were established to protect and respect the land and the indigenous population. “We live by three rules,” says Balsillie. “Zero harm, continual improvement and resource compliance.” It takes work, Balsillie says, but it’s worth the effort.

This respect for the environment is paired with a strong focus on filling positions with local and Indigenous employees — a result of decades of collaboration between diamond mines, Indigenous governments, and the territorial government.

Take Kelly Lafferty-Norn, a 35-year old Métis woman who works for Diavik Diamond Mine. Though she once worked an hourly office job in nearby Hay River, Lafferty-Norn—a mother of four—now drives trucks and earns an extremely competitive wage. She is one of Diavik’s haul-truck operators, moving ore from mine to processing facility.

Women now account for a significant portion of the work force, and local and Indigenous employees account for around half.

The Northwest Territories’ role in the global diamond industry has grown under these standards. Diamond mining brought a new multi-billion dollar economic engine to a territory in decline after gold mine closures. It now ranks third in worldwide diamond production, and the progressive approach has ensured treasures from the tundra have benefitted the whole territory.

Although the work can be difficult, a community has blossomed from the camaraderie at site. During a recent interview with a local Yellowknife radio station, Balsillie described the culture at Gahcho Kue. “We’re like a family here. During the day, we work and at night we come together as friends and get to know one another. It’s very supportive.”

A 24-hour cafeteria, on-site gym and complimentary personal and career development classes on subjects ranging from public speaking to financial planning also help workers succeed at the mine site and beyond.

That focus on building folk up is where women like Megan Rodel, a native of South Africa who grew up in the mining industry, says the real prize exits — the ability to climb the ranks.

Rodel, 31, started in production mining and now manages work flow optimization at Gahcho Kué. She has seen a number of her co-workers earn significant promotions. “This is more than just a job,” she says. “Here, you can have a career.”

Rodel loves the diversity of the work she does and welcomes its challenges. “There’s something new to learn each day,” she says. With a degree in mining engineering, her career has followed the trajectory of the very products she helps to unearth—from coal to diamonds.

“I began my career working to mine coal and now I help to mine diamonds. It’s a dream job for me,” she says. “Each diamond that emerges from the earth is unique and has its own story to tell. And that’s a dream in itself.”

This is the new face of modern diamond mining — an industry thriving in one of the world’s most remote locations, advancing careers, and empowering a successful future for thousands.