26 January 2010
2009 socio economic highlights
Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., operator of the Diavik Diamond Mine, is pleased to release its 2009 socio-economic monitoring report, which provides a detailed summary of our annual training, employment, and business initiatives. Highlights include:
• Training: At year-end, Diavik and its contractors employed 18 apprentices (our commitment is 8-18 apprentices) of whom 17 are northerners. In 2009, one northerner successfully completed their apprenticeship bringing the total number of Diavik apprentices to have achieved journeyperson certification to 18.
• Employment: In 2009, the Diavik operations workforce averaged 810 people. Of these, 528 (65 per cent of the total) were priority hire Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal northern workers.
• Business: In 2009, Diavik's combined capital and operating expenditures were CDN $431.8 million. Of this, $288.1 million (67 per cent) was on northern business. Of the northern expenditures, $145.3 million was on Aboriginal business. This brings local cumulative spending to $3.3 billion (72 per cent of the total).
The full report is included in the reports and publications section of our website at www.diavik.ca.
The Diavik Diamond Mine is located 300 km. northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and is an unincorporated joint venture between Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. (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.