Minister Caitlin Cleveland issued the following statement today following De Beers Canada and Mountain Province Diamonds’ announcement regarding changes to the mine plan at the Gahcho Kué Mine:

“This is serious news for the Northwest Territories. Gahcho Kué is an important employer and economic driver, and any decision that shortens the mine’s operating timeline creates real concern for workers, families, Northern businesses, and communities connected to this operation.

“The mine is not closing immediately, and near-term impacts are expected to be limited. But this decision reflects how challenging conditions in the global diamond market have become. Prices are weak, costs are high, and companies are having to make difficult calls. While the GNWT cannot control global markets, we take responsibility for how the impacts are managed here at home. To that end, we will ensure worker and business supports are visible and accessible, and we will continue to expect employers to meet their obligations under NWT labour standards if there are job impacts.

“This announcement also reinforces a broader reality for our territory: our economic base remains too dependent on a single commodity. The diamond industry has carried the NWT economy for decades, but the extended, profound decline in natural diamond prices underlines the need to diversify our resource economy. We need more projects, in more regions, across more commodities so that workers and communities are not exposed to the boom-and-bust cycles of any one sector.

“Over the past year, our government has taken targeted steps to support stability in the diamond sector and protect Northern jobs during a period of global market disruption. At the same time, we are focused on building what comes next by improving regulatory efficiency, supporting exploration, and advancing strategic infrastructure that lowers costs, creates new economic opportunities, and unlocks future projects.

“The mining industry has helped build this territory. It has created good jobs, strong Northern businesses, and lasting capacity in our communities. Our government believes in this sector and in the people who make it work. We will continue working with Indigenous governments, industry, and the Government of Canada to support workers as needed, protect communities from sudden disruption, and position the Northwest Territories for the next generation of responsible resource development and economic opportunity.”

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with Minister Cleveland, please contact:
Cabinet Communications
Government of the Northwest Territories
PressSecretary@gov.nt.ca