Gold Rush North latter happened in the late 19 th century in the Yukon, where tens of thousands of gold a way to Dawson City, to find happiness. Since then, miners and oil companies continue to seek riches in the North. In the last decade, history repeated itself with the discovery of diamonds in northern Canada.
diamond exploration in Canada began in 1960, but it seems important discoveries diamondiferous kimberlite ore until 1990. With the discovery of diamonds in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in 1991, Canada became one of the three largest producers of diamonds in the world in terms of value for Botswana and Russia. Currently, Canada produces 15% of diamonds in the world. determined according to Statistics Canada, 13.8 million carats of diamonds worth about 2.8 billion U.S. dollars have been in Canada between 1998 and 2002. To put this in perspective, Canada is made each day 1.5 kg bag of diamonds worth $ 1,500,000. It is hoped that the diamond mines of income for decades to come and do it.
In 1991 the first diamonds at the lake near the Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories, located about 300 km northeast of Yellowknife. Soon after the initial search, two diamond mines were discovered in this region, Ekati and Diavik. Diavik is about 100 km south of the mine Ekati. A third diamond mine, Jericho-3 began production in 2005, Nunavut. The fourth diamond mine, Snap Lake-4 in the Northwest Territories, should begin production in 2007.
Jericho-3 mine is located near the northern West Lake Contwoyto Kitikmeot, Nunavut (NT), is located. It is used by Tahera Diamond Corporation, which has been studying diamonds in Nunavut for the past seven years of operation. The operation will begin with a bat, and despite the harsh climate, it is intended for use throughout the year. It is currently anticipated that the mines and mills have been for 8 years and has about 125-175 employees and contractors.
Most of the shares of Ekati (80%) are heard by an Australian mining conglomerate BHP Billton. The remaining 20% will be heard by prospectors Charles Fipke and Stewart Blusson. Ekati Diamond Mine is the only diamond mine owned by BHP Billiton and produces about four per cent of world diamond production by weight and to be six percent in value. Mine is expected to survive for 20 years.
My Diavik, about 300 km (180 miles) north of Yellowknife, is a British Rio Tinto PLC (60 percent) and Toronto, Aber Diamond Corporation (40 percent). The company employs 700 people and produces 8 million carats per year revenue of $ 100 million Canadian dollars. The area was first surveyed in 1992, construction began in 2001 and diamond mining began in 2003. He has about 5% of world production. Mine is expected to remain in operation for 20 years.
My Snap Lake, owned and operated by De Beers, De Beers and AMEC consultants, begins this year and should remain in production for 20 years. This is mine, to be in the lake and is the first entirely underground diamond mine in Canada. De Beers Victor Mine and mine diamonds in a remote area in the lowlands of James Bay in northern Ontario, 90 km west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat.
the diamond industry in Canada has an international reputation for quality and integrity. In recent years, there were ethical problems with African Diamonds, which may come from unstable countries like Sierra Leone and Angola after the diamond sales fund terrorism, war and arms sales. Canadian diamonds are clear, because all are engraved on the belt with a serial number and logo, as the Canadian maple leaf or a microscopic polar bear as a mark. Illustrated logos vary depending on the company, which sells diamonds.
Canadian diamonds, especially the Ekati me high quality and very white. They are also popular, which can be shown, if a young Canadian singer Avril Lavigne MTV Awards 2003 in New York contributed to Canadian diamonds worth $ 50 000 spectators.
Mines provide employment for high-income countries the average salary of $ 63,000, many of them constantly, not only projects to create temporary jobs for which Northern communities are known. Almost 40% of the work carried out by indigenous peoples. For example, transaction size diamonds in the Northwest Territories, the majority belonging to the Yellowknife Dene First Nation.
Some of the most skilled jobs, such as diamond, earning professionals from Armenia, Israel, China and Vietnam, the salaries of more than $ 100.000. Most of the cut and polished at sites in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Matane, Quebec. Between 1998 and 2001, employment in the diamond mines in the North increased from 90 to 700 people, estimated at over 2000 jobs at a time. Another 2000 jobs are created in support industries for the mines and their employees. Diamond mining produces more than just the sale of diamonds. These funds are also many other activities such as construction, road building, the arctic and subarctic survey and engineering projects.
diamond fever in northern Canada shows no signs of slowing down, and report an article in the Globe and Mail of Toronto in February 2004 that exploration companies are entitled to more than 70 million hectares in the Northwest the Northwest Territories and Nunavut down. By The newspaper said the sharp increase in diamond exploration in Nunavut, where the number of exploration permits increased to 1518 in 2004 against nearly 190 2003 -
On December 1, 2003 are within a month to apply for a prospecting permit that long lines at branches around the clock in Yellowknife and Iqaluit. It will record a charge of 10 cents per acre for the claim, $ 1.50 to $ 2 per acre to make a serious claim. With 70 million acres involved, the cost of these requirements is expected to generate up to $ 140 million of government revenues, even before the opening minutes. Prospectors desperately to stop the submission of their applications, as we know, the fall in demand of helicopter operations in areas difficult to reach.
The economic recovery is moving to the north, the master, occurring in the area for mining jobs to fill. This is the cost of living in the North, which had been raised, brought from the outset because of the cost of transporting food and other necessities to remote northern areas. In places such as Yellowknife, basement for rent to $ 1500 per month.
In 1998, "said Mayor Dave Lowell Yellowknife, the diamond rush that his city might, economic recession can be saved." Simply put, our future, "said Lowell." We had to walk a recession, if not a diamond mine " .
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