Victor Diamond Mine
Encyclopedia
The Victor Diamond Mine is the first Canadian diamond mine located in Ontario
, and De Beers
' second diamond mine in Canada (after the Snap Lake Diamond Mine
). It is located in the James Bay
lowlands 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) west of Attawapiskat in the remote northern part of the province. Construction of the mine began in February 2006 after it received its final permit and 85.5% support from the First Nations
in the Attawapiskat area. Construction of the mine created 3200 positions; mining and operations will create around 400 permanent positions. The Victor Mine is an open-pit mine
, with a processing plant, workshops, and an airstrip
located on site.
s people, soon after construction begins. In 2007, the Moose Cree First Nations peoples sign in favour of the Victor mine and the first successful productions of diamonds begins. June 20, 2008 Victor Mine enters production phase, De Beers celebrated its opening July 26 and reached an agreement with the Province of Ontario to allow up to 10% of the mines production to be available to the cutting
and polishing industry in Ontario. As of October 2009, the Victor Mine was voted “Mine of the year” by readers of the international trade publication called Mining Magazine, Fort Albany
and Kaschewan First Nations also sign on to the Victor Mine.
, 16 of which are diamondiferous, the Victor Mine sits on top of the Victor pipe and mines from Victor Main and Victor Southwest which have appeared close enough to the surface to be used in an open-pit mine. The Victor Kimberlite is a composition of pyroclastic
crater facies and hypabyssal facies, and is considered to have a highly variable diamond grade.
s and other necessary support equipment used in the mining operation. The annual production rate is 2.7 million tonnes a year, which comes to about 600,000 carats
a year in diamond grade.
and only seasonal access over land depending on whether the weather permits travel. On the property are warehouses for storage, a processing plant, workshops, offices, fuel storage facilities, pit-dewatering
machinery and an airstrip (the Victor Mine Aerodrome
) for travel needs. The site also has recreational and dorm buildings for the permanent staff. The life of the mine is expect to be twelve years and the total project life is seventeen years and each year the processing plan is designed to treat 2.5 million tonnes of kimberlite
per year (roughly 7100 tonnes a day).
. Other human concerns is that the mines impact on the First Nations people, and their pledge to help promote community growth will only effect certain communities more than others.
Concerns were brought up regarding the mines impact on the surrounding area as it is an open pit mine it would disturb the natural environment, the impact area is 5,000 hectares of land. The first concern was raised in 2005, when environmental groups called on the Ontario government to perform its own environmental impact assessment
aside from the Federal one as it was believed the Federal assessment did not fully assess the situation, long term harm on the wildlife
, wilderness
and the water systems found there. However, the Project did receive an ISO 14001 certification.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
' second diamond mine in Canada (after the Snap Lake Diamond Mine
Snap Lake Diamond Mine
The Snap Lake Diamond Mine is located about northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and, according to De Beers, was their first mine outside Africa and Canada's first completely underground diamond mine....
). It is located in the James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
lowlands 90 kilometres (55.9 mi) west of Attawapiskat in the remote northern part of the province. Construction of the mine began in February 2006 after it received its final permit and 85.5% support from the First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
in the Attawapiskat area. Construction of the mine created 3200 positions; mining and operations will create around 400 permanent positions. The Victor Mine is an open-pit mine
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
, with a processing plant, workshops, and an airstrip
Victor Mine Aerodrome
Victor Mine Aerodrome is a registered aerodrome located north of the Victor Diamond Mine in Northern Ontario, Canada....
located on site.
History
De Beers started looking for Kimberlite Pipes within Canada in the 1960s, in 1995 the pipes of the James Bay Lowland area were re-examined and interest was renewed in the Victor Mine Project. In 2005, the Project gained approval after an environmental assessment by the Federal and Provincial government and gained an 85.5% in favour rating from the Attawapiskat First NationAttawapiskat First Nation
Attawapiskat First Nation is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River at James Bay...
s people, soon after construction begins. In 2007, the Moose Cree First Nations peoples sign in favour of the Victor mine and the first successful productions of diamonds begins. June 20, 2008 Victor Mine enters production phase, De Beers celebrated its opening July 26 and reached an agreement with the Province of Ontario to allow up to 10% of the mines production to be available to the cutting
Diamond cutting
Diamond cutting is the art, skill and, increasingly, science of changing a diamond from a rough stone into a faceted gem. Cutting diamond requires specialized knowledge, tools, equipment, and techniques because of its extreme difficulty....
and polishing industry in Ontario. As of October 2009, the Victor Mine was voted “Mine of the year” by readers of the international trade publication called Mining Magazine, Fort Albany
Fort Albany, Ontario
Fort Albany First Nation is a community in within the Cochrane District of Northern Ontario, Canada. Situated on the southern shore of the Albany River, Fort Albany First Nation is only accessible by air or by winter road....
and Kaschewan First Nations also sign on to the Victor Mine.
Geology
The area is composed of 18 kimberlite pipes of the Attawapiskat kimberlite fieldAttawapiskat kimberlite field
The Attawapiskat kimberlite field is a field of diatremes located astride the Attawapiskat River in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, in Northern Ontario, Canada...
, 16 of which are diamondiferous, the Victor Mine sits on top of the Victor pipe and mines from Victor Main and Victor Southwest which have appeared close enough to the surface to be used in an open-pit mine. The Victor Kimberlite is a composition of pyroclastic
Pyroclastic rock
Pyroclastic rocks or pyroclastics are clastic rocks composed solely or primarily of volcanic materials. Where the volcanic material has been transported and reworked through mechanical action, such as by wind or water, these rocks are termed volcaniclastic...
crater facies and hypabyssal facies, and is considered to have a highly variable diamond grade.
Mining
It is an open-pit mine; the equipment there is 100 tonne trucks, large front-end loaders, bulldozerBulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
s and other necessary support equipment used in the mining operation. The annual production rate is 2.7 million tonnes a year, which comes to about 600,000 carats
Carat (purity)
The karat or carat is a unit of purity for gold alloys.- Measure :Karat purity is measured as 24 times the purity by mass:where...
a year in diamond grade.
Operations
There is year round access via air travelAir travel
Air travel is a form of travel in vehicles such as airplanes, helicopters, hot air balloons, blimps, gliders, hang gliding, parachuting or anything else that can sustain flight.-Domestic and international flights:...
and only seasonal access over land depending on whether the weather permits travel. On the property are warehouses for storage, a processing plant, workshops, offices, fuel storage facilities, pit-dewatering
Dewatering
Dewatering is the removal of water from solid material or soil by wet classification, centrifugation, filtration, or similar solid-liquid separation processes, such as removal of residual liquid from a filter cake by a filter press as part of various industrial processes.Construction dewatering,...
machinery and an airstrip (the Victor Mine Aerodrome
Victor Mine Aerodrome
Victor Mine Aerodrome is a registered aerodrome located north of the Victor Diamond Mine in Northern Ontario, Canada....
) for travel needs. The site also has recreational and dorm buildings for the permanent staff. The life of the mine is expect to be twelve years and the total project life is seventeen years and each year the processing plan is designed to treat 2.5 million tonnes of kimberlite
Kimberlite
Kimberlite is a type of potassic volcanic rock best known for sometimes containing diamonds. It is named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa, where the discovery of an diamond in 1871 spawned a diamond rush, eventually creating the Big Hole....
per year (roughly 7100 tonnes a day).
Honours
Victor Diamond Mine was chosen as the 2009 Mine of the Year by the readers of the international trade publication Mining Magazine.Environmental and Human Concerns
So far, De Beers Canada employees and its contract partners have safely worked more than four million hours without a Lost Time InjuryIndustrial injury
An occupational injury is bodily damage resulting from working.In the United States in 2007, 5,488 workers died from job injuries, 92% of which were men, and 49,000 died from work-related injuries. NIOSH estimates that 4 million workers in the U.S...
. Other human concerns is that the mines impact on the First Nations people, and their pledge to help promote community growth will only effect certain communities more than others.
Concerns were brought up regarding the mines impact on the surrounding area as it is an open pit mine it would disturb the natural environment, the impact area is 5,000 hectares of land. The first concern was raised in 2005, when environmental groups called on the Ontario government to perform its own environmental impact assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
aside from the Federal one as it was believed the Federal assessment did not fully assess the situation, long term harm on the wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
, wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
and the water systems found there. However, the Project did receive an ISO 14001 certification.
See also
- De BeersDe BeersDe Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
- List of diamond mines
- Northern OntarioNorthern OntarioNorthern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...