(Photo courtesy of Antwerp World Diamond Centre)
March 14, 2018

The Northwest Territories diamond industry took centre stage yesterday in a one-day diamond expo presented as part of the State visit by their Majesties King Phillippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians.

Sponsored by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre with the support of the GNWT’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, the hands-on ‘Mine-to-Finger’ event highlighted where and how NWT diamonds have been discovered; and how they are mined and manufactured to advance economic benefits for the NWT and its people.

Representatives of the NWT’s diamond mines and secondary manufacturers participated alongside ITI personnel and a number of NWT Indigenous leaders. A performance by the Tlicho drummers helped to accentuate the contribution of NWT diamonds to local communities and sustainability. 

Staged at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, the expo was attended by approximately 275 business and political delegates in addition to the King and Queen. In addition to diamonds, NWT fur and tourism products were represented. 

Yesterday’s event illustrates the importance of the bilateral trade relationships between Belgium and Canada’s Northwest Territories. Sixty percent of the total production of Canadian mines – worth about $860 million dollars – is traded directly on the Antwerp diamond market.