Yellowknife retiree spins copper into gold for local women's society

A Yellowknife woman is taking used copper wire from a nearby diamond mine and turning it into a windfall for the local women's society.

Working in an unheated tent in an industrial parking lot on the edge of the city, 65-year-old retiree Diane Hache cuts through plastic insulation to reveal the treasure buried inside.

The wire 88,000 pounds of it, so far, or about five seacans worth was donated by Hache's former employer, Diavik Diamond Mine. It's been slowly processed and sold by Hache over the past two years.

The result? A $94,000 donation to the Yellowknife Women's Society in October, with another, even larger donation coming by Christmas, Hache says.

Hache says learning the process has been all-encompassing, but extremely rewarding.She could sell the wire without stripping away the insulation, but that would only net her half as much money.

"Seven days a week, every day," she says."I couldn't see the end ... and I committed to see this to the end.But being alone, you see how much time it takes."

"Everyone thought Iwas crazy,I admit. They said, 'Diane, it's impossible.'

"But impossible is just an opinion until you try."

Watch: take a look at Diane Hache'smission to learn a new skill, and raise money for a good cause:

Yellowknife woman turns used copper into $94 K for women's society

4 years ago

Duration 2:02

Yellowknife woman turns used copper into $94 K for women's society