N.W.T. Mtis Nation signs benefit agreement with De Beers

The N.W.T.MtisNation has signed an impact benefit agreement with the companies behind N.W.T.'s next diamond mine.

The signing took place on Friday in the Yellowknife office ofDeBeers. Together with partner Mountain Province Diamonds,DeBeers isbuildingtheGahchoKuediamond project approximately 280 km northeast of Yellowknife.

The N.W.T.MtisNation represents indigenous Mtis currently living in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Resolution and Fort Smith. This is thefirst impact benefit agreement ithas signed for a diamond project, and only itssecondIBAto date.

IBAsare key agreements outlininga developer's commitmentto offer jobs, business contracts, training, scholarship funding andundisclosed payments to aboriginal groups considered by the company to be "impacted" communities.

Unlike theTlichoGovernment, theYellowknivesDeneFirst Nation, theLutselKeDeneFirst Nation and theNorth SlaveMtisAlliance, the N.W.T.MtisNationdid not ink anIBAwithDeBeers when the companywas developing the Snap Lake diamond mine.

"We weren't at the table in those days," saidGarry Bailey, president of the NWTMtisNation.

"I'm proud of the mining companies that are starting to recognizeMtishave the rights, that they're respecting the rights that we told them we had all along."

Theconstruction ofGahchoKueis expected to generate close to 700 jobs.Another approximately 400 jobs will be created once the mine goes into operation.

"They need quite a few employees," said Bailey. "I'm sure that we don't have enoughMtisto fill all the jobs that they're going to need."

The group will also form part of a committee charged with making sureDeBeers and Mountain Province keep totheir commitments, added Bailey.

In a news release,DeBeers' chief operating officer in Canada,GlenKoropchuk, said,We want to thank thenegotiating teams on both sides for their hard work in concluding the IBA.

According toDeBeers' website,GahchoKueis expected to start operating aroundthe third quarter of 2016.