Two cases of COVID-19 reported in the past week, one at the Diavik mine and one in Yellowknife, are both cases of the UK COVID-19 variant.

Alberta Precision Laboratories confirmed the results and notified the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer.

The Diavik case is the second case at the mine, and was reported when an outbreak was declared by Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola on April 3.

The Yellowknife case, which stemmed from international travel, has also been determined to be a case of the UK COVID-19 variant. 

The B.1.1.7 variant, first discovered in the United Kingdom, is more infectious than COVID-19, meaning it can spread between individuals quicker.

Kandola said there were three contacts related to the Yellowknife case, who were all isolating and doing well. Those numbers haven’t changed since the case was first reported on April 5.

Kandola added there was no identified public exposure risk stemming from the Yellowknife case, because the person was deemed not infectious during travel and is suspected of having been infected with the virus while outside the territory.

There is also no exposure risk to NWT communities connected to the cases at Diavik.

“Many workers onsite were assessed as being at very low risk of any exposure and have already left the worksite to return home,” Kandola said in a statement. “Many others will be returning home in the next few days as long as the situation remains unchanged.”

The NWT sends a sample of the virus detected from all those diagnosed with COVID-19 to labs in southern Canada to test for any variants of concern, Kandola added.

Throughout Canada, there are over 22,500 cases of the UK COVID-19 variant in Canada – with over 7,000 of those being reported in Alberta. There are also more than a thousand cases of the P.1 variant and hundreds of cases of the B.1.351 variant. 

Two cases of the UK variant were reported at Fort Chipewyan in March.

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A second worker already in self-isolation has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Diavik Diamond Mine prompting the territory's Chief Public Health Officer to declare an outbreak at the mine.

This brings the number of individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infections to two.

Chief Public Health Officer Kami Kandola says the current assessment is the second person acquired COVID-19 onsite.

"Both workers with COVID-19 are safely self-isolating at a secure location onsite with medical staff monitoring their condition," she adds.

The second positive case was identified by Diavik medical staff and confirmed by a PCR test at Stanton Territorial Hospital.

The individual is among the contacts of the source case that was identified at the mine earlier this week. The two positive cases and all contacts have been self-isolating at the mine.

Kandola says medical staff are continuing to monitor and assess all worksite employees per standard COVID safety protocols.

"We are working closely with Diavik mine to ensure the two individuals with COVID-19 and contacts continue to safely isolate," she adds.

Kandola says the company will test all employees at the mine site and continue to work with Public Health officials to mitigate transmission risk.

"Routine monitoring and follow-up will continue with all known cases and contacts," she adds.

Kandola says lab analysis confirmed that the first COVID-19 infection announced on March 29 is the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom.

"There is strong evidence that the Moderna vaccine is very protective against the B.1.1.7 variant," she adds.

The second case like the first is not being reported in the territory’s COVID-19 statistics as the individual is not an NWT resident.

Kandola assures there is no identified risk to NWT communities related to the outbreak at this time.

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The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer has confirmed one new case of COVID-19 at the Diavik Diamond Mine.

The OCPHO says the individual did not acquire the infection from the mine site and that contact tracing does not identify any risk to the public.

The individual and 35 other people identified as contacts are currently self-isolating at the mine site.

The OCPHO say they are working closely with Diavik and Yellowknife Public Health to gather information, ensure measures that mitigate risk of transmission are in place, and to monitor the situation.

“All screening measures to try and prevent introduction of COVID-19 infections were in place.”

The case will not be reported in the territory’s COVID-19 statistics as the individual is not an NWT resident.

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COVID-19 testing efforts are being ramped up at Diavik Diamond Mine, as other NWT mines recover from outbreaks of the virus.

Non-resident workers who are travelling to the mine will now be tested where they are picked up — the airport they fly to the NWT from — and around the midway point during their rotation.

Point-of-pickup testing was piloted in Edmonton on February 11 for southern workers boarding flights to the mine, according to a statement from Rio Tinto who own a portion of the Diavik mine.

Similar measures were implemented at airports in Halifax, Kitchener-Waterloo, Winnipeg and Vancouver on February 22. 

“Results are received within 15 minutes, allowing medical professionals to identify and isolate presumptive positive cases, including asymptomatic individuals, before they travel to the mine,” a statement from Rio Tinto spokesperson Simon Letendre said.

Workers are also tested when they arrive at the mine site and before they leave.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to protect our people and communities, and this testing will add a further layer to the robust precautionary measures we already have in place at Diavik,” Diavik Diamond Mine president Richard Storrie said in a statement.

“We will continue to support the public health response that has been put in place by the Northwest Territories government, including vaccination efforts.”

Gahcho Kué was shutdown on February 6 after an outbreak was declared at the mine.

That came after an outbreak had been declared at a worksite near the Gahcho Kue mine, which has since ended.

There have been 19 total cases of the virus related to the outbreak at the mine site. Eight of the cases are still active, while the other 11 cases have recovered.

Three workers who contracted COVID-19 at the Gahcho Kué diamond mine have been hospitalized

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Dominion has confirmed the sale of Ekati with two creditors, after financial troubles and a number of delays threatened the future of the mine.

If the deal goes through, Dominion has said they will restart operations at Ekati no later than January 29, according to a press release from the company.

The sale of Ekati to its parent company Washington had failed back in October, with three insurance companies blocking the deal.

If the deal goes through, which is subject to court approval, the two creditors will purchase all of Dominion’s assets, except from Dominon’s ownership in Diavik mine — DDMI received permission to sell-off the diamonds from Diavik mine in November — and the Working Capital Facility.

The two creditors, DDJ Capital Management, LLC and Brigade Capital Management, LP are also providing $70 million in funding to keep the “Working Capital Facility” open, which will allow Dominion to restart and maintain operations at Ekati.

The agreement is subject to court approval because Dominion has been in creditor protection — allowing the company to pause paying their debts — since April. 

That is set to end on December 15, although Dominion is seeking permission from its credoors to restructure its debts — allowing it to agree to a smaller amount of its debts to be paid back.

When the Ekati sale failed back in October, the Union of Northern Workers issued a statement saying the companies involved weren’t acting in the “best interest of northerners.”

“What are our leaders putting in place to protect our workers and our economy from corporate entities with no personal stake in our future and who answer to no-one but their shareholders?” Todd Parsons, UNW President, said in a statement. “Where is the due diligence to ensure that hardworking northerners and their families aren’t left out in the cold?”

The three insurance companies who blocked the deal back in October, Aviva, Argonaut, and Zurich, have collectively issued around $280 million in surety bonds with the territorial government, to guarantee that Ekati can be safely closed once the mine closes. 

The deal has to be confirmed by or before February 1, 2021.

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An Alberta court decision could ensure the Diavik Diamond Mine still has a future.

DDMI has been given permission by an Alberta court, whose decision had been expected two weeks ago,  to sell-off Dominion’s share of diamonds produced at the Diavik Diamond Mine. The decision will allow DDMI, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, to recoup a portion of the $120 million it paid to cover Dominion’s share of the operation costs. 

Dominion’s financial troubles have prevented the company from paying its share of the operation costs since it entered creditor protection back in April. Combined with the selling of the Ekati mine to Dominion’s parent company failing, and the continued operation of both mines was at risk. Around 1,000 workers are employed between the two mines.

But DDMI will be appealing to have the decision amended, saying the way the decision structured how the sell-off of assets can be conducted could hurt DDMI. 

“Some of the conditions imposed in the court’s endorsement, however, create doubt on whether the monetization will be sufficient to recover the outstanding payments missed by Dominion and provide the funding needed to plan for ongoing operations,” a spokesperson for DDMI said in an email.

The current decision has DICAN, an external evaluator, determining the value of the assets, which wouldn’t include the cost of selling the diamonds, according to the Diavik spokesperson.

DDMI is appealing with the hopes of being able to sell the diamonds closer to market value rather than the value determined by DICAN, and use that to collect on Dominion's debt.

Dominion, who owns 40 per cent of the Diavik mine, have been unable to pay their share of operation costs since the company entered creditor protection back in April. 

The total debt Dominion has racked is nearly $120 million, plus more than two million in interest, according to an affidavit from October 30.

Previously Rio Tinto had refused to front more cash until it secures repayment on the $120 million Dominion already owes. That could have put operations at Diavik at risk.

“The court’s recent decision that Diavik Diamond Mines can start monetizing some of Dominion’s 40 per cent share of diamonds produced at Diavik is an important step,” added the spokesperson. “This will compensate for at least part of the payments Dominion has missed so far, that Rio Tinto has covered to keep the Diavik mine in operation.”

At the Ekati Mine, Dominion announced they would be recalling 60 furloughed staff after news their creditors would allow the company to restructure its finances.

[caption id="attachment_13201" align="alignright" width="300"] The Ekati diamond mine, located roughly 310 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife. Photo supplied.[/caption]

The staff will be brought back to work with restarting the mine’s operations in mind again.

Operations at Ekati have been suspended since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and most of the staff at the mine have been furloughed or laid off as Dominion struggled to raise the capital to restart operations.

Presently, Dominion’s creditor protection — a pause button on paying the company’s debts — lasts until December 15. 

But with Dominion's creditors allowing the company to restructure its debts — agreeing with the creditors a lower debt payment for the company to pay back — Dominion will have the cash flow available to look toward restarting operations at Ekati.

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Update: The presumptive positive COVID-19 test at Diavik Diamond Mine has been confirmed. All contacts are isolating on-site. Public health continues to work with Diavik medical staff to monitor the situation at the mine site, but there is no indication of an outbreak.

There is no additional risk identified to NWT communities.

The confirmed COVID-19 test at Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine was for an Alberta resident. The individual traveled on a charter flight which went directly from the south to the mine site.

The individual is currently isolating appropriately in a designated quarantine area onsite alongside all potential contacts. Medical staff at the mine are working closely with NWT public health officials to guide further actions, including thorough testing and follow-up.

These two cases will not be included in the territory’s statistics as neither of the individuals are NWT residents.

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Continuing financial troubles for the Dominion Diamond Mining company is putting the future of around 1,000 workers in jeopardy at two different mines.

The company owes the co-owners of the Diavik Diamond Mine, DDMI, more than $120 million in payments for operation fees.

Dominion has been unable to pay those fees since they filed for creditor protection — essentially a pause button on debt payments so the company can restructure its finances — back in April. They had been planning to move out of creditor protection and restart operations at Ekati Mine when it was sold.

But instead, Dominion saw the collapse of its sale of Ekati to its parent company. The Washington Companies because three different insurance companies rejected the deal.

Around 1,000 workers are employed at the two mines.  Dominion has had to furlough most of its staff since it shuttered operations back in April. It has already permanently laid off some staff and warned more job losses could follow.

“There doesn’t seem to be any accountability on the part of these corporations to act in the best interests of northerners,” said Todd Parsons, Union of Northern Workers president in a statement when the Ekati sale failed.

On October 30, an Alberta court will be asked to give DDMI permission to begin selling off Dominion’s share of diamonds from Diavik. 

This is happening as there is “no realistic chance” Dominion will be able to pay its debts to DDMI, according to an affidavit signed by Thomas Croese, the finance manager of the Diavik mine.

DDMI, owned by Rio Tinto has been paying Dominion’s share of operations cost since the company entered creditor protection back in April. The total debt Dominion has racked is nearly $120 million, plus more than two million in interest, according to the affidavit.

DDMI needs an advance on its finances to be able to continue to pay for Diavik’s operations. But Rio Tinto is refusing to front more cash until it secures repayment on the $120 million Dominion already owes.

The Diavik Mine’s continued operation is at risk in the present circumstances, adds the affidavit.

The affidavit cited WWW Diamond Forecasts, who called for reducing the supply of diamonds to help boost prices, with demand likely to continue to be low during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Economic uncertainty is unlikely to dissipate in the near-term which will continue to be a drag on any recovery in diamond jewellery sales,” wrote Croese in the affidavit.

In a presentation of the update to its 2020 budget, Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek said the slowdown in the diamond market has been “quite significant.” 

This is impacting territorial revenues as well. The GNWT lost around $30 million as a result of the slowdown in sales from the diamond mines shrinking the royalties the territory received.

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The Yellowknives Dene and the GNWT have committed to collaborate on advancing the Slave Geological Province Corridor project, according to a release.

Yellowknives Dene Chief Edward Sangris and Chief Ernest Betsina met with Premier Caroline Cochrane, Minister of Infrastructure Diane Archie, and Minister of Finance Caroline Wawzonek on September 25 to agree to greater collaboration on the project.

The major project, which is estimated to cost $1.1 billion would connect Nunavut by road to the rest of Canada for the first time, has been in the planning stage since early 2019.

It would replace the existing ice road — which a 2019 report found is vulnerable to climate change — with a 413 kilometre long, two-lane gravel road, stretching from Highway 4, past the

[caption id="attachment_50500" align="alignleft" width="410"] The road stretches over 413 kilometres. Screenshot from GNWT.[/caption]

Mines to the Nunavut/NT border.

The road would also make it more feasible to expand the dam at the Taltson Hydro System and provide easier access to the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines, which would help cut down on industrial emissions, according to the release.

“Partnerships with Indigenous governments and organizations are imperative to the success of projects like the Slave Geological Province Corridor, which will help us to expand and diversify our economy, together,” Premier Caroline Cochrane said in a statement.

The GNWT’s agreement with the Yellowknives Dene sets the path for collaboration with other Indigenous governments, according to the release.

“Economically, the Northwest Territories is at a critical juncture,” said Chief Yellowknives Dene Chief Edward Sangris. 

“Indigenous, territorial, federal and municipal governments must work together to move projects forward that will stimulate the economy, create employment, attract investment and ensure a bright future for all Northerners while respecting Indigenous Traditions, Culture, Treaty Rights and Title.”

Stage 1 of the development of the project will see the construction of 179 kilometres of road, connecting Highway 4 to Lockhart Lake. Stage 2 would connect Lockhart Lake to Luc De Gras diamond mines, and stage 3 would continue the road beyond the mines to the territorial border.

To this stage, $43,990,000 has been spent on the development of the project, most of that coming from federal sources.

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A rapid response team has been dispatched to Hope Bay Mine in Nunavut after seven new presumptive cases of Covid-19 were reported.

TMAC Resources, operators of the mine, contacted the Department of Health on Sept. 26 about an employee who had developed symptoms.

In response, all non-essential travel to and from the mine, including scheduled shift changes, is cancelled until further notice. The Department of Health worked with medical practitioners at the mine and dispatched the rapid response team when the new presumptive cases appeared.

“The team, including two nurses and a logistician, is trained to trace, track and contain the virus to help reduce the risk of further transmission,” said Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Michael Patterson.

The presumptive positive cases and all known contacts have been isolated. Contact tracing is on-going.

“Although this is a serious situation, the risk to Nunavummiut is very low,” said Minister of Health George Hickes. “There are no Nunavut residents currently working at the Hope Bay Mine, and the site is isolated from all Nunavut communities.”

This situation does not impact the current public health measures, Nunavut’s Path or the Common Travel Areas with Churchill, Manitoba and the Northwest Territories.

While the territories as a whole have no current Covid-19 cases, mines have seen small fluctuations recently.

The Diavik mine in the Northwest territories have seen two cases in recent weeks, while Nunavut had a presumptive case at the Baffinland Iron Mine in addition to the seven at the Hope Bay Mine.

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