MINE OF THE YEAR: De Beers Canada’s Victor diamond mine

ONTARIO — The De Beers Canada Victor diamond mine has been named "2009 Mine of the Year" by the readers of the international trade publication Mining Magazine.

The award was announced on Oct. 8 at the Mining Magazine Centenary Awards Gala, which was held in Canada for the first time at Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. On hand to accept the award were De Beers Canada president & CEO Jim Gowans and Victor mine general manager Peter Mah.

"The Victor mine safely opened ahead of schedule, under budget and reached full production in just six months," said Gowans, "which is quite an accomplishment for Ontario's first diamond mine."

"This award is recognition of the dedication and commitment of our employees, business partners and community partners," added Mah. "We are tremendously excited about the future of the Victor mine and look forward to working with our partners to build that future."

Mining Magazine nominates mines, suppliers and manufacturers from around the world, giving readers the opportunity to vote in a total of 14 mining categories to recognize technologies, equipment and operations that are deemed notable or significant to the industry in a particular year.

CMJ has published two site visit articles about the mine, one in January 2007 and the other in January 2009.