Victor Diamond Mine
Location: 52° 49’ 15” latitude, 83° 53’ 00” longitude, approximately 90 kilometres west of the First Nation community of Attawapiskat in northeastern Ontario
Mine Area: Victor kimberlite has a surface area of 15 hectares
Annual tonne processing capacity: 2.7 million tonnes
Annual carat production capacity: 600,000 carats
Northern Canada's extreme weather conditions make Victor Mine, an open pit, a challenge worthy of our best people. The winter road that brings supplies and heavy mining equipment to this corner of northeastern Ontario, is open only six weeks of the year.
Ontario's first diamond mine and our second in Canada, Victor, in the James Bay Lowlands Victor is approximately 90 km west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat First Nation. To establish Victor, we signed community agreements with four of Canada's First Nations . Approximately C$167 of the $1 billion we spent on construction went to Aboriginal businesses or joint venture partners.
History
1960s - First kimberlite discoveries in Canada
1987 - While working with De Beers Exploration, university student Brad Wood discovers kimberlite boulders on the Attawapiskat River
1987-88 Our exploration reveals 18 kimberlite pipes, 16 of them diamond-bearing
1995 - Studies of Attawapisket samples spark renewed interest in the area
2005 - De Beers and the Attawapiskat First Nation sign an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) and construction on Victor Mine begins
2007 - IBA signed with Moose Cree First Nation. Victor commissioning begins and production diamonds are delivered by year end.
2008 - Agreement with Province of Ontario to make 10% of production by value available for local cutting and polishing. The mine reaches commercial production, six months ahead of schedule.
2009 - Victor is voted "Mine of the Year" by readers of Mining Magazine. IBAs signed with Fort Albany First Nation and Kaschewan First Nation
310 - 119 Pine Street South
Timmins, ON
CAN P4N 2K3
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