Snap Lake mine in the Northwest Territories and Ontario’s Victor mine have entered the final stages of active closure. The process began in 2019 for Victor and 2022 for Snap Lake. Both closures received important regulatory approvals in December 2022.
At Snap Lake Mine, 220 km northeast of Yellowknife, all of the mine’s infrastructure is scheduled to be removed by the end of 2023, and the site will be ready for targeted revegetation in 2024, De Beers Group will begin long-term monitoring following closure of the site.
“We recognize that our responsibility to protect the land, water and wildlife extends across every aspect of our activities, from exploration through construction, production and beyond.” De Beers Group Managing Director Moses Madondo said in a news release.
The completely underground diamond mine is De Beer’s first diamond mine outside of Africa and by December of 2014 $2.2 billion had been spent on construction and operation of the mine. The budget included $863 million in partnership with Aboriginal businesses and ventures.
De Beers employs more than 600 people in Canada and operates the joint venture Gahcho Kué mine in the NWT. During the final stages of closure, De Beers has an exploration team searching for new diamond deposits in Canada and plans on advancing the Chidlak Project on Baffin Island using new ‘smart mining’ principles.
