Mr. Speaker, on September 20, De Beers Canada and its joint venture partner, Mountain Province Diamonds, celebrated the official opening of the Gahcho Kué mine, located northeast of Yellowknife.
As the member for Northwest Territories, I am proud of the potential benefits this mine will bring to my communities. This $1-billion mine is the largest new diamond mine recently constructed in the world, and highlights the importance of strategic and ambitious investment.
The benefits of this project are enormous: 54 million carats of rough diamonds will be mined over the life of the mine, which will reinforce Canada's position as the world's third-largest diamond producer by value, and there will be spin-off benefits in the communities and small businesses, the backbone of our Canadian economy.
The potential contributions are further highlighted in the north with De Beers' partnering with our communities, using local procurement, local business, and hiring locally.
I congratulate De Beers on the opening of the mine and its commitment to work with first nations and Métis communities in the north.