New | De Beers opens massive diamond mine near Arctic Circle in Canada
Mine is one of the biggest in the world for the glittering stone
De Beers officially opened one of the largest diamond mines in the world on Tuesday in Canada’s remote far north, near the Arctic Circle.
Called Gahcho Kue, the mine is situated in the outback some 280 kilometers (174 miles) northeast of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories.
De Beers chief executive Bruce Cleaver said at a ceremony christening the new mine that he was “delighted with the official opening of Gahcho Kue, our largest ever mine outside of southern Africa.”
Global diamond company De Beers, headquartered in Johannesburg, owns a 51 per cent stake in the mine, whose name was derived from a local aboriginal language, meaning “big rabbit” in Chipewyan.
Its Canadian partner Mountain Province Diamonds controls the remaining ownership stake.
