The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) recognized De Beers Canada with two national safety awards at its annual convention awards gala on Monday, May 1, 2017. The De Beers Victor mine received its second consecutive national John T. Ryan Award in the select mines category for having the lowest accident frequency rate during 2016. The Gahcho Kué mine received the 2017 Hatch-CIM Mining & Metals Project Development Safety Award, in recognition of its outstanding safety systems, culture, and performance during the project phase.
“To have our teams recognized at this level for their demonstrated commitment to Zero Harm is an outstanding achievement that reflects the collective contributions of all employees across De Beers Canada,” said Kim Truter, CEO of De Beers Canada. “I want to congratulate all employees at Victor and Gahcho Kué for their outstanding safety performance and for helping establish De Beers Canada as a global mining safety leader.”
The Gahcho Kué Mine in the Northwest Territories (NWT) is a joint venture between De Beers Canada (51%), the operator, and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%). This is the fourth major award for Gahcho Kué in the past year. De Beers Canada owns and operates the Victor mine in northern Ontario. The company also owns the Snap Lake mine in the NWT, which is currently in care and maintenance.
