De Beers Group has signed a contract with a Northwest Territories Indigenous community-led joint venture to manage the closure, demolition, and rehabilitation of the Snap Lake Mine site in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT). MET/Nuna, a joint venture between the North Slave Métis Alliance and Nuna Logistics, was awarded the contract worth approximately C$110 million over three years, following a competitive bidding process launched in March 2021. Five bids, all from NWT Indigenous communities, were considered during the commercial process.
The contract will see MET/Nuna take on responsibility for day-to-day management of the site and carry out the mine’s closure and reclamation plan. This will include using best efforts to maximize employment and training opportunities for NWT residents and the purchase of goods and services with NWT companies. De Beers will maintain a small oversight team on site and will remain responsible for relationships with governments and communities, as well as retaining accountability for regulatory and social commitments, including commitments made to communities in Impact Benefit Agreements and the Government of the NWT in the mine’s Socio-Economic Agreement.
Maxwell Morapeli, Head of Closure for De Beers Group, said: “De Beers Group is committed to making a positive impact in our host communities during all stages of a mine’s life, including closure. Since 2004, Snap Lake Mine has spent close to C$2 billion with Indigenous and other NWT companies, generated more than 2,500 person years of employment for NWT residents, and provided C$27 million in training and community investment. We’re proud to build on this legacy into closure.”
MET/Nuna will take over control of the site during the first quarter of 2022 and closure activities will commence following a winter road program to bring fuel, equipment and supplies to the site. Marc Whitford, Vice President of the North Slave Métis Alliance, said: “The North Slave Métis Alliance (NSMA) is very pleased to be working more closely with Nuna Logistics as MET/Nuna on this mine closure project. This represents a significant step toward developing the NSMA’s business capabilities and presents another step to a prosperous future for the North Slave Métis people. President Enge has worked closely with Nuna in the past to develop our valued relationship and it has resulted in MET/Nuna which is awarded this contract. I also appreciate the very significant efforts of the De Beers Canada Snap Lake team leading up to this important award today and ensuring Northern Business stays in the North.”
Miles Safranovich, President & Chief Operating Officer of Nuna Logistics, said: “Nuna is proud to have worked with De Beers Canada Inc. at Snap Lake from the early exploration days through to providing heavy civil construction services in the construction and operations phases of the project. In partnership with Métcor Inc, a 100% owned North Slave Métis Alliance business, the award of the Snap Lake remediation contract to MET/Nuna Joint Venture marks our participation in the complete project lifecycle and is representative of the full complement of our scope of services.”
MET/Nuna has engaged several Northwest Territories suppliers to complete this work and will be looking to further Northern business engagement as well as creating employment opportunities for Northerners as project remediation scope progresses.
At the peak of remediation work, approximately 120 personnel will be on site, which includes MET/Nuna employees, subcontractors and suppliers. “De Beers thanks the Det’on Cho Corporation for its work in carrying out the Custos contract for extended care and maintenance of the Snap Lake site since 2017,” concluded Morapeli.
