Text 17798, 107 rader
Skriven 2008-12-13 22:48:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av DAVE DRUM
Ärende: Re: NPR Feature on YK 1
===============================
-=> Quoting Dave Drum to Jim Weller <=-

 DD> National Public Radio had a nearly 8 minute feature on Yellowknife and
 DD> the diamond mines this morning. Fascinating stuff.

 DD> http://tinyurl.com/Icemining 

Nice article. Unlike Ice Road Truckers, completely factual.

Some comments:

> Diavik Diamond Mine

That's the one my stepson Ray works at.

> Charles Fipke discovered diamonds

He is the publicity hound. His partner, shy and retiring Stu
Blusson, had an equal hand in it. They found Ekati, which is now 50%
owned by BHP who spent $800 million developing it, 30% by Diamet the
junior who put up the first few million for a diamond drilling
program and 10% each Chuck and Stu.

> His camps were known to be hardship camps, and a lot of people who
> worked there were his family and friends in the business. Nobody
> else would put up with it.

I first met Stu when he wanted a 6 month staff rental for one
season; he choose a tiny 3 bedroom 4-plex unit in a semi-slummy
building for himself, a helicopter pilot and a GIS tech. They
complained about the size and quality but he said, "If it's good
enough for me, it's good enough for you." and that was that. He
still doesn't like spending money frivolously: he stays at the
cheapest hotel when he's in town, wears baggy, stained and patched
jeans and drives a 20 year old rusty pickup. But he hands out money
to charities and universities at $25 million a clip. His 10% share
earns $35M per year.
                              
> I was a banker at the time. There were people trying to finance
> more and more helicopters and airplanes and things," he says.

I was one of the other 4 bankers at the time. I saw Air Tindi go
from 1 twin Otter to a fleet of 22 aircraft (which sold out last
year for several tens of millions). We also watched expediters and
hot shot operators go from a pickup truck and five tents to
companies listed on the stock exchange which built their own air
terminals.

> We have two months of the year to haul in all of the materials
> that you see here to build these mines, as well as all of the
> materials, supplies, equipment and that that we need to operate
> these mines every year

The ice road handles up to 15,000 B train loads in 75 days. The fuel
delivery alone is awesome in scope. The trucks back up into the
suburbs from the highway as they get marshalled; I went by Wal-Mart
one morning and saw 128,000 pounds of Ammonium Nitrate on trailers
in the parking lot (that 23 times as much as McVeigh used in
Oklahoma City). Can you imagine the fuss at an American Wal-Mart?!?
There was another 128,000 pounds at Canadian Tire too.

> Diavik Diamond Mine, which opened in 2003, also had to drain a lake
> and then build a 2.5-mile dike in order to create an open-pit mine.

Ray is the water manager. That dike is his baby.

> Chief Fred Sangris, with the Yellowknife Dene tribe, says the gold
> mining harmed the lakes and land, and did little to better the
> lives of the native people. Sangris said that became an issue when
> diamond officials came

> The diamond mines have guaranteed extended-education programs,
> apprenticeships and contracts for providing services to the mines.

The mines guarantee 50% of the jobs to Natives and have promised 33%
Native filled management positions in 5 years (if the Natives take
the required courses... which the company pays for). Ray is getting
a free upgrade from a community college tech diploma to Professional
Engineer; he is studying mining engineering at UCLA part time.

> Sangris says he would like to see more Natives in management at
> the mine.

They can get there if they study.

> huge earth movers, some the size of a two-story house,
> slowly wind down 800 feet to the bottom of the diamond "pipes"

By BIL operates one of them at Ekati.

> processing plant

6 other of Roslind's relatives work there too. The mines have been
good to our family. Most qualify for all that affirmative action,
being Metis, and most are taking advantage of it to get training and
education and move up the ladder.



Cheers

YK Jim


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