As another diamond mine issues bad news, NWT MLAs are seeking answers from Premier RJ Simpson about work being done to support the mining sector and its employees.
The Gahcho Kué mine said this week it is pausing a project that would have helped keep diamonds flowing from 2027 to 2030, a decision that may jeopardize the mine’s life beyond this year.
There are two other active diamond mines in the NWT. One, Diavik, closes next month. The third, Ekati, has financial troubles of its own.
“The closure of Diavik and Gahcho Kué will have a significant impact on Tłı̨chǫ communities and today, the GNWT has no meaningful alternative,” Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong told the legislature on Tuesday.
Weyallon Armstrong said the Tłı̨chǫ region offers plenty of resources but infrastructure gaps get in the way of mine development.
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“A road from the Tłı̨chǫ Highway to Gamètì, with future connection to the Sahtu, possibly the Arctic Ocean, could create a transformative trade and development corridor,” said Weyallon Armstrong.
“We may not have a Ring of Fire, but we could have a frosty circle,” she added, referring to a mineral-rich region of northern Ontario.
Weyallon Armstrong asked Simpson about work being done to assist with the transition as mines close.
Simpson pointed to a partnership with the Tłı̨chǫ Government and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation designed to help people whose jobs are going. “We are pooling resources, we’re getting information out there and we’re supporting residents the best way that we can,” he said.
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Yellowknife North MLA Shauna Morgan asked how the GNWT is enforcing socio-economic agreements made with mining companies when they were establishing operations in the territory.
“As several mines are reducing their operations, how can we enforce their promises to prioritize preserving northern workers and northern contractors as they scale down?” asked Morgan.
Simpson said those agreements have no enforcement clauses, such as fines, that the GNWT could impose if a company doesn’t hold itself to the commitments it made years ago.
“This is about building relationships and ensuring that we’re staying on top of this,” the premier said.
He added industry minister Caitlin Cleveland holds quarterly meetings with mining companies at which such targets are reviewed.
“When we learn about mines looking at changing their workforce – reducing the workforce – we ensure that they’re going to follow the appropriate legislation,” said Simpson.
“But we also do our best to ensure they keep as many northern staff as possible, and a lot of effort goes into that.”
