Rio Tinto says that the agreement signed with the North Slave Métis Alliance is the international mining mogul’s first ever with a partner Indigenous government related to a mine closure. Rio Tinto owns mining operations in 35 countries across the globe and says they plan to continue to offer closure agreements with more mine closure agreements with Indigenous governments, continuing first in the territory.
That plan includes signing closure agreements with each partner government specific to Diavik’s closure including the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Tłı̨chǫ Government and Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation.
Last week, Rio Tinto’s Diavik Diamond Mine and the North Slave Métis Alliance signed the“unprecedented” agreement.
“The agreement is unprecedented as it is the first agreement Rio Tinto has signed with a partner Indigenous Government strictly related to the closure of a mine. Other agreements have been signed in the past to share benefits throughout the life of a mine’s operation (called Participation Agreements),” said Garrett Hinchey of Diavik Communications.
The North Slave Métis Alliance first signed a Participation Agreement related to the operations of Diavik Diamond Mine in 2000.
Diavik has participation agreements sharing benefits of an operating mine, which have been signed, with the NSMA, Yellowknives Dene First Nation, Tłı̨chǫ Government, Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation, and Kitikmeot Inuit Association.
“Our goal is to sign Closure Agreements with each partner government specific to Diavik’s closure,” said Hinchey
The company reported that employment, training and business opportunities will be provided through the coming years in terms of financial investment to allow the North Slave Métis Alliance to respond to the socio-economic impacts of Diavik’s closure.
“The Alliance presented us with a clear plan for their future after Diavik, and we are pleased to support their vision through this agreement. We are grateful for their partnership and their contributions through the life of Diavik and into closure,” said Mine Matthew Breen,Diavik Diamond’s chief operating officer
As part of the agreement, the North Slave Métis Alliance will take over operations of the copper wire recycling project. Leadership has said that this will support “diversification” following the Diavik mine’s closure.
The agreement also provides financial support for the construction of the François Beaulieu II Economic Development Facility in the city of Yellowknife.
“The North Slave Métis Alliance is proud to sign this agreement which advances a made-in-the-North copper-recycling program that creates real jobs, supports our economic independence, and recovers valuable critical minerals. At the same time, we are building real business capacity for the community with the construction of the FBII facility. This is more than
just an agreement – it’s about creating a lasting legacy. With diamond mine closures and uncertainty in the resource sector, we are building new industries that reflect our values and will secure long-term opportunities for Métis families,” said President of the North Slave Métis Alliance Marc Whitford.
Hinchey said that the specific details of the agreement is confidential.
North Now reached out to the North Slave Métis Alliance and will share their response when it becomes available.
“Diavik is providing financial support to the NSMA to support their goals after the mine’s closure. The NSMA will determine the specifics of how the funding is used to mitigate the impacts of Diavik’s closure on NSMA and members,” said Hinchey.
The Rio Tinto company is a British-Australian multinational company known as the world’s second largest metals and mining corporation. It was first founded in 1873 after a group of investors acquired a mine complex on the Río Tinto, in the city of city of Huelva.
