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First Nation Site Liaison position posted Aug 19, 2006 at http://66.244.236.251/article_8180.php

Shaping the future

• AMEC is an international project management and services company that designs, delivers and supports client assets for customers worldwide across the public and private sectors.
• AMEC employs 44,000 people in more than 40 countries. AMEC has approximately 7,000 employees operating from over 150 offices in North America.
• AMEC was ranked by Engineering News Record Magazine as the #1 International Design Firm in Canada and the U.S.

De Beers Canada Inc. (DBC) has contracted AMEC Americas Limited to provide project management, construction management, engineering and procurement services for the development of the Victor Mine, to be located in the Western James Bay lowland area.

DBC and AMEC are committed to working with First Nations people, specifically the Attawapiskat First Nation, to help create business, employment and training opportunities.

This is where you come in.

First Nation Site Liaison

Based at the Victor Site, this position will involve working closely with First Nation workers, contractors, AMEC and DeBeers personnel, the project’s Community Relations Team and surrounding communities. You will have a unique opportunity to promote the project’s vision, provide cross-cultural training, and generally work to maximize First Nation benefits from the project.

This exciting mandate requires an individual with strong communication skills and a proven record in community relations within both cultures. Post-secondary education or equivalent background, experience in a construction setting and computer skills are required. The ability to speak Cree is an asset.

The rotation schedule is 3 weeks in, 1 week out. There are regular flights from Timmins and the James Bay coastal communities.

Please forward your resume and covering letter by August 28, 2006 to: AMEC, Human Resources, 2020 Winston Park Drive, Suite 700, Oakville ON L6H 6X7. Fax: 905-829-9481.
E-mail: careers.ec.oak@amec.com.

We work worldwide, responsibly and for the long term.

AMEC is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment. We thank all applicants and advise that only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls or agency solicitations will be accepted.
www.amec.com

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com

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From http://www.timminspress.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentID=159898&catname=Local+News

Victor project ahead of schedule - Arron Pickard
- Saturday, August 19, 2006

In a matter of only six months, De Beers Canada has transformed about four kilometres of mushkeg-laden territory located 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat into the makings of a future diamond mine.

Since January, the company has managed to dig up a 30-metre-deep quarry, with the rock being used to build the foundation for a full-fledged mining camp.

De Beers has also constructed an airstrip, as well as state-of-the-art water filtration, waste management and incinerator plants and is well on its way to full production of the Victor project - Ontario's first diamond mine.

In fact, development of the $928-$982-million mine site is progressing so well, project vice-president Jeremy Wyeth said, the production date has been moved ahead six months. It is now estimated the mine will enter into its production phase by April, 2008.

"We've made tremendous progress, but there's still a lot of work to do," Wyeth told The Daily Press.

"It has taken a big team effort to get this far this fast and the next 18 months are going to be very, very busy."

De Beers is in the process of connecting about 400 kms of power line that stretches as far away as Moosonee and contractors are continuing to build on-site facilities such as a processing plant, workshops and a pit-dewatering system.
Furthermore, as the project nears production, De Beers will construct an additional accommodation complex to house the 400 employees it will take to mine the 0.6-million carats per year. As of right now, the mining camp can accommodate up to 270 people.

Then, once winter hits, De Beers can begin clearing the 15 hectares of mushkeg that cover the Victor kimberlite.

Wyeth described mushkeg as mainly wetland with few high points or rock outcroppings. As such, he said the land needs to be frozen because it would be impossible for workers to clear that amount of mushkeg during the summer.

The Victor kimberlite, which derives its name from the phonetic alphabet, measures about 250 metres in depth and at the end of production, will look something similar to Timmins's own Dome Super Pit, said Victor project communications co-ordinator Trish Buttineau. However, she said there are another 16 diamondiferous kimberlites within the immediate vicinity of the Victor project that could extend the mine's lifespan past 12 years.

"These are rather insignificant, smaller kimberlites and none of them would be able to sustain a mine on its own," Buttineau said. "But, they could very well add to the Victor project's own significance," should De Beers choose to mine them.

Because the Victor kimberlite is located on Native land, De Beers has included First Nation communities along the James Bay Coast in its plans. The majority of the workforce during both development and production will be made up of residents of those Aboriginal communities.

On June 21, 2005, the First Nation community of Attawapiskat and De Beers finalized an impact benefit agreement, ensuring residents along the James Bay Coast will reap their own rewards from the Victor project.

De Beers has built a $750,000 training centre in Attawapiskat and has also partnered with the coastal communities to secure federal funding to create 1,210 program seats in that centre. Training is being provided in environmental awareness, environmental monitoring, health and safety, heavy-equipment operation, food preparation, mechanical work and drill operation. The 400 jobs that will be created through the Victor project once it reaches production will first be made available to qualified people of Attawapiskat.

Thereafter, the positions will be filled by other residents of the James Bay Coast.

"The two phases (development and production) of the project are very different in terms of employment," Wyeth said. "The development phase is comprised of high intensity, short-term specific skills. These are jobs where employees come in, accomplish their task and leave. It's not a phase suited for training purposes.

"During the operational phase, jobs will be more routine. There will be the type of activities that are longer-term and better suited for training."

Wyeth said while it is mostly contractors tackling the development phase of the project, residents of Attawapiskat are currently completing their training at the centre and will be ready in time for the production phase.

Following their education, Wyeth said, it is De Beers's plan to get as many of them employed as possible, get them trained and into supervisory positions. That way, there is constantly room for new employment opportunities.

Quick Facts

Following is a breakdown of the Victor project, spearheaded by De Beers Canada:

• The Victor kimberlite is one of 18 pipes discovered on the property, 16 of which are diamondiferous
• The Victor kimberlite has a surface area of 15 hectares and consists of two pipes that come together at the surface
• The geology of the Victor kimberlite is complex, comprising pyroclastic crater facies and hypabyssal facies and has a highly-variable diamond grade
• The mine will be open pit with an expected life of 12 years and a total project life of 17 years

For more information about the Victor Project, visit http://www.debeerscanada.com/files_2/victor_project/factsheet.html