Talks Between NWT and De Beers Over Local Supply “Constructive”

Not much is known about the talks held Friday between the Northwest Territories Premier Stephen Kakfwi and De Beers Canada President Richard Molyneux over the supply of goods to local manufacturers, besides being dubbed “constructive” by a De Beers spokesperson.

According to Kakfwi, “Mr. Molyneux has assured me that the commitments that they made to try to find a way to provide an allocation of Snap Lake production to the NWT for cutting and polishing is a commitment they stand behind".

However that is not a firm promise to actually deliver the goods. During the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board (MVERB) hearings De Beers said it would supply local polishing plants with rough mined at Snap Lake, a promise it reiterated afterwards on a number of occasions.

In a recent interview Molyneux said he couldn’t ensure that the DTC will indeed do this, raising a quick and angry response from Government officials, saying the promise was part of what encouraged the MVERB to give the Snap Lake project a green light.

Kakfwi expressed optimism regarding the outcome after the meeting in Edmonton. “I'm happy with the clarification and I'm confident that De Beers will stand behind the commitment that they made to the public, to the people, to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board,” he told CBC.

Future talks between the parties are expected to take place next week, though they will be kept confidential.