Diamonds in Canada

Introduction

Diavik Diamond Mine  https://www.riotinto.com/operations/canada/diavik 

Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance known. This mineral is composed of pure carbon. The name "Diamond," comes from the Greek word "Adamas," which means indestructible - even though diamonds aren't indestructible. Canadian diamonds are used for many different purposes such as jewelry, electronic heat sinks, cutting blades, etc. According to  nrcan.gc.ca  in 2019, Canada was the third largest producer (under Russia and Botswana), of rough diamonds by value (12.5% of world production) and third largest producer by volume (13.5% of world production). Canada's total primary exports of diamonds were valued at $2.21 billion. Real diamonds are non-renewable resources. Non-renewable resources are those that cannot be easily replaced or replenished. Since natural diamonds already take time to produce, they would be considered non-renewable. Since fake diamonds don’t take too long to produce, they wouldn’t be considered a non-renewable resource. Two methods are used to extract Canadian Diamonds: Open pit mining, and underground mining. For example, the Diavik Diamond Mine has four kimberlites on site, called A154 South, A154 North, A418, and A21. Both A154 South and A154 North are mined by open pit methods. Both A418 and A21 are mined underground.

Patterns and Trends

Industrial Mineral Mines & Diamond Mines  https://tdsbgeo.maps.arcgis.com 

Volume vs Value for Canadian Diamonds (2010-2019)  https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/minerals-mining/minerals-metals-facts/diamond-facts/20513 

As shown in the map above, there are 4 diamond mines and 87 industrial mineral mines in Canada. Three of these four mines take place in NWT - the Ekati, Diavik, and Gahcho Kué mines, and the Renard diamond mine takes place in Quebec. These mines take place in these areas since most of the kimberlite pipes are found here. Mines are being overmined. The Ekati mine itself is said to be able to be mined till 2028.  Gia.edu  states that before our modern-day methods of extracting diamonds, diamonds were discovered in the pans of gold miners as they sifted through the gravels of local rivers. The average diamond price has also increased from 1960 to today. However, there's also been cumulative inflation of more than 700% over the same time period, meaning that the true appreciation in the value of a diamond is very small.

Interrelationships

Renard Diamond Mine Canada  https://www.mining.com/restart-of-renard-diamond-mine-planned-for-september/ 

According to an article from  pcsb.org , diamond Mining has harmful impacts on the environment. To mine diamonds, a large amount of soil is needed to be dug out, reducing the amount of available natural land resources. Canadian diamond mines are now recognized as global leaders in sustainability. Diamond mines can be more sustainable by reducing the overall footprint of the mining area, reducing the amount of waste produced/stored, culturing any endangered plants/animals, etc. As most of the diamond mines take place in the Northwest Territories and with a population of only around 44,000 people, diamond mining is the major source of employment there. Diamond mining jobs are particularly offered to both the local and indigenous peoples. With a 10% royalty, Canada generates around $100 million from diamond mining every year. Since diamond mining started in Canada, around $10 billion were used to develop and operate the mines. This benefits both us (employment opportunities) and the government.

Geographic Perspective

 https://archive.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/diamond-mines-in-canada-at-risk/ 

Four stakeholders in diamond mining would be Indigenous peoples, local communities, farmers, and potential buyers. The original lands of the Indigenous peoples are being taken away to create diamond mines. The amount of excess dirt around the area affects livable communities. Mining can also damage the soil nearby which restricts farmers from farming. Diamond mines generate a lot of money, which provides resources for potential buyers to sell. Yes, Canada is a large country that needs a lot of money in order to provide resources, but it’s time we help out underdeveloped countries and share the goods we have. We should provide to the countries that do not have access to beautiful resources like ours.

Reference List

Information:

Images :

Diavik Diamond Mine  https://www.riotinto.com/operations/canada/diavik 

Industrial Mineral Mines & Diamond Mines  https://tdsbgeo.maps.arcgis.com 

Volume vs Value for Canadian Diamonds (2010-2019)  https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/minerals-mining/minerals-metals-facts/diamond-facts/20513 

Renard Diamond Mine Canada  https://www.mining.com/restart-of-renard-diamond-mine-planned-for-september/ 

 https://archive.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/diamond-mines-in-canada-at-risk/