As one N.W.T. diamond mine shuts down, these workers want to stay in the North

A long-standing mine in the N.W.T. is shutting down its operations and turning a new page with a focus on remediation.

The Diavik diamond mine has been operating for decades, producing more than 150 million carats of diamonds, according to the mine’s owner Rio Tinto.

On Tuesday, it shut down for good.

Hundreds of people have worked at the mine. At its peak, Diavik had over 1,000 people working there. Not all of them are from the North, but at least some of those who’ve found their way to the territory say they want to stay.

That includes Sean Sinclair, originally from Ontario, who has been living in the territory for a little more than a decade.

Sinclair said he started working with Diavik back when he was still getting his master’s degree. He eventually landed a full-time gig and is now a closure manager at the mine.

But that’s not all. Sinclair also met his wife in Yellowknife, he said. And, as it turns out, she also works as Diavik.

“We both love Yellowknife a lot,” said Sinclair. “Certainly not planning to leave, but we’ll see what happens.”

Other workers have similar feelings, including Mike Lowing, principal adviser for health, safety and environment.

Lowing said he's been living in Yellowknife since 1974. 

“Yellowknife’s a very interesting, dynamic place, I’ve spent most of my life here,” he said. “My family’s there, my friends are there. There’s a great future for Yellowknife despite the challenges of closing diamond mines.”

Lowing said Diavik’s closure will affect multiple communities across the territory. But despite not knowing exactly what he’ll be up to next, there are some possibilities.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $35-billion investment plan for the North during a visit to Yellowknife earlier this month.

Part of his announcement confirmed federal backing for the Mackenzie Valley Highway project and the Taltson hydro expansion, on top of support for the Arctic economic and security corridor. Carney said work on the highway will begin as early as this summer.