Dominion Diamonds on its Award-Winning Wildlife Protection Measures

From African forests to the Arctic tundra, diamonds are found in some of the most remote locations on earth. This article is part of a series around Earth Day that uncovers the important ways that diamond producers are working to protect the wildlife and wilderness where they work.

Guest Contributor: Patrick Evans, CEO, Dominion Diamond Mines ULC

Northern Canada remains one of the world’s most pristine natural regions. Majestic rivers, crystal-clear lakes, and expansive tundra serve as a backdrop for our mining operations — a constant reminder that we work in a place as beautiful as the diamonds we unearth.

In the area surrounding the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines in the Northwest Territories, we work hard to keep the land and water clean and safe for wildlife such as grizzly bears, wolves, foxes and caribou.

As we share the land around the mine with some of the most interesting species in North America, it reminds us that our operations — while remote — have an impact on everything that calls this region home.

Over the last 20 years of operation at the Ekati mine, we’ve recognized that our company is in a unique position to take a step beyond preservation, and actively take steps to protect these species.

As we carry out operations at the mine, we construct caribou crossings, ensure that traffic stops when caribou are in the area to allow their safe movement across the site, and engage northern Indigenous communities on the best ways to monitor and protect wildlife by aligning local Traditional Knowledge with scientific approaches.

One of our first notable projects involved caribou and their migration patterns. We worked hand in hand with the Government of the Northwest Territories to apply state-of-the-art technology to improve our understanding of how caribou move or react to development. We used lightweight geo-fenced satellite collars on a few caribou in the Bathurst herd. This approach was the first of its kind in the area, and as a result we’ve been able to monitor caribou movement on a regional scale and around the Ekati mine.

Another exciting project — and one that focuses on one of Canada’s most recognizable inhabitants — is our award-winning Joint Regional Grizzly Bear DNA Program.

Traditionally, our ecological efforts were focused on responsible waste management, which ensured that local grizzlies and other wildlife would not come in contact with, or be harmed by, any materials generated by our operations, including food waste and other attractants to animals. Through a complex system of waste management, we’ve been able to keep the bears out of harm’s way.

We took our efforts to the next level in 2012, when we launched an initial two-year DNA study in partnership with Diavik Diamond Mine, to collect information that helped us understand how many bears there were and where they went.

Our study covered 16,000 square kilometers in the Northwest Territories, placing scented posts throughout the area that collected DNA from bears who came to play with them. We also used camera monitoring to observe their behaviour.

Over the course of 2012 and 2013, we collected thousands of hair samples from over 100 grizzly bears. Further work in 2017 allowed us to assess bear population trends and how our activities might affect them. Through our work, we were able to determine that these bear populations had been steadily increasing in size since the 1990’s.

We didn’t act alone in this initiative, working with our peers in the diamond mining industry to help take part. In partnership with De Beers at the Snap Lake and Gahcho Kue mines, our ongoing work around diamond mines has doubled the initial field of study, and has significantly contributed to a better understanding of grizzly bears across the north.

While we’re tremendously proud of this work, we continue to look at ways to demonstrate our commitment to environmental responsibility. Other initiatives that Dominion Diamond Mines is undertaking are targeted at wolverines, wolves and other wildlife that call the Northwest Territories home. Our aim is to ensure our company, and others like it, treat the places, people and wildlife they work around with the respect they deserve and the protection they need.

Click here to read more articles from the Earth Day Series.

About Patrick Evans

Patrick Evans is a senior mining executive with operating experience across a wide range of commodities including diamonds, platinum, gold, copper, nickel and uranium. His depth of experience ranges from grassroots exploration, particularly for diamonds, to project permitting and development and mine operations. He has been actively involved in the diamond industry in the Northwest Territories for 20 years, recently as president and CEO of Mountain Province Diamonds and also as President and CEO of Kennady Diamonds. Patrick joined Dominion Diamond Mines as CEO in November 2017.

Dominion Diamond Mines ULC

Dominion Diamond Mines is a Canadian diamond mining company with ownership interests in two major producing diamond mines situated approximately 200 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The company operates the Ekati Diamond Mine, in which it owns a controlling interest, and also owns 40% of the Diavik Diamond Mine. It supplies rough diamonds to the global market through its sorting and selling operations in Canada, Belgium and India and is Canada’s largest independent diamond producer.