De Beers' Canadian mines reach the end of their active closure

De Beers' Victor and Snap Lake mines in Canada are nearing the end of their active closure processes, which began in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
According to the company, most of the infrastructure at the Victor mine in Northern Ontario's James Bay lowlands has already been removed, and more than two-thirds of the site has been rehabilitated and revegetated.
De Beers Group will conduct long-term monitoring of the site after it is closed.
It also said that all of the Snap Lake mine’s infrastructure will be removed by the end of this year, and the site will be readied for targeted revegetation in 2024, followed by long-term monitoring.
Snap Lake is located about 220 km northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories.
“We recognise that our responsibility to protect the land, water and wildlife extends across every aspect of our activities, from exploration through construction, production and beyond,” said De Beers managed operations managing director Moses Madondo.
“We are immensely proud of the work we are doing to rehabilitate the Victor and Snap Lake sites and ensure they represent productive ecosystems for both people and wildlife. We are very pleased to continue to have Impact Benefit Agreement business partners significantly contributing to the safe closure activities at both these sites.”
Both closure projects received important regulatory approvals in December 2022.
Victor Mine was Ontario’s first and only diamond mine and opened in July 2008. 
Snap Lake mine was Canada’s only entirely underground diamond mine and was De Beers’ first mine in Canada when it opened in July 2008.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished