DIAMOND MINING: De Beers opens two mines in Canada

TORONTO DE BEERS CANADA has officially opened two new diamond mines in Canada, the Snap Lake mine in the Northwest Territories and the Victor mine in northern Ontario.

Here is a quick run-down of the projects by the numbers:

ONE Snap Lake is De Beers' first diamond mine outside South Africa.

Another ONE Victor is the first diamond mine in Ontario.

1.4 MILLION CARATS Average annual production at Snap Lake.

600,000 CARATS Average annual production at Victor.

$975 MILLION & $997 MILLION Capital cost estimates for, respectively, the Snap Lake and Victor mines.

OVER A BILLION DOLLARS Amount De Beers eventually spent on each mine to bring them into production.

$650 MILLION Money spent with Aboriginal communities during development of the two mines.

SEVEN Number of impact benefits agreements signed for the two projects (four at Snap Lake and three at Victor).

10% BY VALUE Share of diamonds from the two mines that will be cut and polished in Canada.

Congratulations to De Beers and the thousands of people who made these projects possible.