One tool is a Socio-Economic Agreement (SEA). SEAs set out commitments and predictions made by a company regarding its impact, the progress of which is continuously monitored and published in a yearly report to the government of the Northwest Territories. The pristine environment they work to protect is everywhere. A family of wolves had settled near the location. Mine employees remind us that we must keep our distance with no interference. This point was evident later when a grizzly bear was roaming near the wolves. We wanted to protect the cubs from the grizzly bear, but still, nothing is allowed to compromise the zero interference policy.
Previously, a bird nesting on the side of a mine meant that mining in that area had to be halted until the bird naturally migrated away. Even in cases like these that could cost millions of dollars, the environment comes first. In following up for more information, a ten-page document was shared that details and documents all birds near each mine. It is supported with photos and video to prove that operations were halted or changed in every case to avoid the disturbance of any birds. It was clear that in a Canadian diamond miner’s eyes, even a common raven is put before diamonds. The attention and care given to the bird population can be seen in every animal in the area.
59 FREDRIC H. RUBEL MAGAZINE
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