De Beers Canada: looking down the pipe.Imagine working in a place where the landscape is unspoiled and dotted with pristine pris·tine adj. 1. a. Remaining in a pure state; uncorrupted by civilization. b. Remaining free from dirt or decay; clean: pristine mountain snow. 2. lakes and wildlife. Those who are hired to work on the new De Beers Canada Canada (kăn`ədə), independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of the United States (and E of Alaska) except for Greenland and the French islands of Victor diamond mine, located in the James Bay James Bay, shallow southern arm of Hudson Bay, c.300 mi (480 km) long and 140 mi (230 km) wide, E central Canada, in Nunavut Territory between Ont. and Que. Numerous rivers flow into the bay; many of these have been developed for hydroelectric power in Quebec (see Lowlands of Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it , approximately 90 km west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat, will find themselves in such a landscape. "In the summer, the colours are very vivid. There's a stark contrast between the blue of the water and the green of the vegetation vegetation /veg·e·ta·tion/ (vej?e-ta´shun) any plantlike fungoid neoplasm or growth; a luxuriant fungus-like growth of pathologic tissue. . It's like an intricate, free-flowing pattern of blue and green," said Linda Dorrington, director of public and corporate affairs with De Beers Canada. "In the winter, it's stark white. Everything is covered with snow and ice. It looks like a very different place." Production at the Victor mine will start next year, and will be slowly ramped up until it is operating at full capacity. By this time, 372 people will be working at the mine. Development is only slightly behind another De Beers diamond mine project in Snap Lake, Northwest Territories Northwest Territories, territory (2001 pop. 37,360), 532,643 sq mi (1,379,028 sq km), NW Canada. The Northwest Territories lie W of Nunavut, N of lat. 60°N, and E of Yukon. , where production is due to start on a limited basis this month. Four hundred twelve people will eventually work there. Another 125 people work for De Beers at offices in Toronto, Yellowknife and Timmins. Worldwide, the diamond mining giant employs 22,000 people in 25 countries. De Beers is currently recruiting people to work at the Victor mine, said Dorrington. Some of the positions currently listed on the company's website include mine engineer, electrical and instrumentation instrumentation, in music: see orchestra and orchestration. instrumentation In technology, the development and use of precise measuring, analysis, and control equipment. supervisor, mine production supervisor and maintenance engineer. "We know there's a skill shortage, and we have been working for quite awhile a·while adv. For a short time. Usage Note: Awhile, an adverb, is never preceded by a preposition such as for, but the two-word form a while may be preceded by a preposition. to prepare ourselves for production and to make sure that people are aware of the opportunities that are available to our project," she said. "So far, we're on track for our hiring targets." Many of the employees will spend two weeks working at the mine, and then the company will fly them to Timmins, where they would catch planes to their homes in the south. Starting salaries depend on the position, but Dorrington said all employees are paid competitive wages and have access to mining bonuses. They will also receive full medical benefits, including dental and vision coverage. Some of their medical care will be provided in the company's own medical clinic at Victor. When they're not at home with their families, employees will stay on-site in comfortable private rooms. There's also a recreation room with a pool table and large-screen television, an exercise facility and Internet access See how to access the Internet. . "We have had employee events from time to time where if there's been something to celebrate, we have musical concerts on-site." While some of the workers will come from other areas of the province and country, Dorrington said the company is making an effort to hire local people from the Attawapiskat First Nation and other nearby communities. 'As part of our impact benefit agreement with the community of Attawapiskat, we have told them we will give first preference to community members (for hiring for the project," she said. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "But clearly, they need to have the right level of education and training to do the jobs available. We have put in place training programs on-site, and have worked with the provincial and federal government to access funding for training. "This is under the James Bay Employment and Training Partnership, which De Beers was instrumental in developing with local educational institutions and government." De Beers is committed to keeping workers safe, said Dorrington. Workers developing the Victor mine have put in 2.3 million hours without a lost-time injury. The company requires that employees attend a safety meeting every day. The company is also ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 14001 certified See certification. , which means it strives to minimize the effects of mining on the environment. Dorrington said De Beers is a great place to work for many reasons. Company corporate values encourage employees and managers to have passion for their work, see diversity as a strength, build trust, care for other people and communities, and look towards the future with innovation. www.debeerscanada.com QUICK FACTS De Beers Canada President/CEO: Jim Gowans Head Office: Toronto Established: 1887 Employees: 412 in Attawapiskat By HEIDI ULRICHSEN Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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