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Proud of our legacy to the North Health, safety, and environment Mines complete North’s largest grizzly bear DNA study With its remote location in the tundra of Canada’s subarctic, Diavik Diamond Mine operates in one of the most challenging environments in the world – an environment it shares with grizzly bears. During the summer months, grizzly bears are often seen in the mine area. Diavik monitors their location with the intent to protect them and staff. While up to 20,000 grizzly bears remain in Canada, the country’s Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife lists the animal as a species of special concern because of its sensitivity to human activities and natural events. The Canadian Barren Lands, named for the region’s lack of trees, are the most northern and eastern limits of the continental grizzly bear range. The research project, conducted in partnership with neighbouring Ekati Diamond Mine, aimed to determine whether mining-related activity has influenced the number and distribution of grizzly bears over time. This was the largest grizzly bear study ever completed in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Following a successful pilot, environmental teams from Diavik and Ekati began a two-year study, in 2012, to collect baseline data about bear populations. Using traditional knowledge from community elders, the teams designed and placed 112 bear posts across 16,000 square kilometres of tundra, collecting 4,709 grizzly bear hair samples for DNA analysis. Results show the local bear population is stable or even increasing. In 2013, the study detected approximately ten grizzlies in a 1,000 km 2 area, three times the number detected in the 1990s. In May, the two mines were presented with the 2015 Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining Environmental Excellence Award for the grizzly bear research. 28
Health, safety, and environment Proud of our legacy to the North Emergency response team The Diavik Diamond Mine emergency response team includes over 60 volunteers from across all site departments. The team trains year-round and competes locally, regionally, and internationally to maintain its skills. Diavik’s mine rescue team has won three western regional mine rescue competitions (North America’s largest) and, in 2012, placed third at the 8th Annual International Mine Rescue Competition held in Donetsk, Ukraine. 29
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