Diavik flight changes enhance northern residency

In support of our continuing commitment to employ northerners, Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (DDMI), operator of the Diavik Diamond Mine, has made changes in relation to community flight pick up points. We have recently added Fort Simpson as a local community pick up point. Our other community pick up points include of Wekweti, Gameti, Wha Ti, Behchoko, Lutsel K'e, Kugluktuk, Yellowknife, Hay River, and Fort Smith.

With no all weather road access, travel to our remote minesite is by air only and as a result Diavik committed to provide workers with work-related round-trip transportation. By adding Fort Simpson, and Fort Smith which was added very early in the project, we are exceeding our original community pick up point commitment. We continue to examine the potential to expand our northern pick up points even further.

Under a pilot project, we have discontinued Edmonton as a pick up point for new hires effective earlier this year. We have, over time, also transitioned several senior minesite roles, to four days on/three days off Yellowknife-based work rotations, from two weeks on/two weeks off southern-based work rotations.

These changes are part of our overall commitment to do our best to hire northern residents and to encourage our workers to live in northern communities. Currently, 525 Diavik workers reside in Northwest Territories and West Kitikmeot, Nunavut communities. These priority hires represent two-thirds of our existing workforce and double our initial estimate of employing approximately 265 northern workers.

In addition to these steps, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), we are working with the North's other diamond mines and the Government of the Northwest Territories to further develop a skilled northern workforce. Earlier this year, through the MOU, the GNWT conducted a survey the NWT's mining workforce. The survey will provide a better understanding of workers' northern residency concerns and assist us in responding. It will also provide us with opportunities to determine how best to provide improvements for current and potential employees. Other initiatives under the MOU include efforts to jointly review and optimize community flight schedules, and to developing common training programs and training standards.

The Diavik Diamond Mine is located 300 km. northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and is an unincorporated joint venture between DDMI (60%) and Harry Winston Diamond Limited Partnership. (40%). Both companies are headquartered in Yellowknife, Canada. DDMI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc of London, England, and Harry Winston Diamond Limited Partnership is controlled by Harry Winston Diamond Corporation of Toronto, Canada. DDMI is the operator of the project. For further information contact Doug Ashbury, Acting Principal Adviser, Communications at Tel: (867) 669-6525, or visit the DDMI website at www.diavik.ca.

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