30 July 2010
2010 mid year socio economic highlights
Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., operator of the Diavik Diamond Mine, is pleased to release its 2010 mid year socio-economic monitoring agreement report, which provides a detailed summary of our training, employment, and business initiatives. Highlights include:
• Training: At mid year, Diavik and its contractors employed 16 apprentices (our commitment is 8-18 apprentices) of whom 14 are northerners. In first half, three northerners successfully completed their apprenticeships bringing the total number of Diavik apprentices to have achieved journeyperson certification to 21.
• Employment: Over the first six months of the year, total employment increased to 872 workers due to the commencement of underground operations. Northern and Aboriginal employment, averaged 551 (63%) and 267 (31%) respectively. Under our new northern employment strategy, which includes numerous initiatives, we are focused on raising our northern and Aboriginal percentages. Examples include a commitment to increase the number of northern apprenticeships, running recruitment campaigns in northern communities, examining the feasibility of new northern community pickup points, and working with the local government and education agencies to increase northern training opportunities.
• Business: At mid year, Diavik's combined capital and operating expenditures were CDN $154.8 million. Of this, $103.7 million (67%) was on northern business. Our total cumulative spending, which includes initial mine construction (2000-2002) and operations which commenced in 2003, is $4.6 billion, of which $3.3 billion (72%) is with northern business. Our northern spend commitment is 70%.
The full report is included in the reports and publications section of our web site at www.diavik.ca.
The Diavik Diamond Mine, a national John T. Ryan safety trophy winner, 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 mine operator. For further information contact Doug Ashbury, Adviser, Communications at Tel: (867) 669-6525, or visit our web site at www.diavik.ca.