The NWT’s Diavik diamond mine says it has signed an agreement with the North Slave Métis Alliance that covers issues like jobs and financial support during the mine’s closure.
NWT mines ordinarily have deals known as impact benefit agreements, or participation agreements, that provide benefits to nearby communities or Indigenous governments.
Rio Tinto, Diavik’s owner, said this is the first time it has signed an agreement like this in Canada related to the closure of a mine. Diavik is set to cease operations in March 2026 before several years of active closure work.
The deal “commits to providing employment, training and business opportunities through the coming years,” Rio Tinto stated.
It also provides financial investment – the amount was not specified – “to allow the NSMA to respond to the socio-economic impacts of Diavik’s closure, including funding for scholarship and cultural programs.”
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“The Alliance presented us with a clear plan for their future after Diavik and we are pleased to support their vision through this agreement,” Diavik chief operating officer Matthew Breen was quoted as saying.
The agreement includes provisions related to NSMA taking over Diavik’s copper wire recycling initiative and funding for NSMA’s new economic development facility.
“With diamond mine closures and uncertainty in the resource sector, we are building new industries that reflect our values and will secure long-term opportunities for Métis families,” NSMA President Marc Whitford was quoted as saying.
Rio Tinto said Diavik is “actively negotiating closure agreements with the other signatories.”
