Canada is rapidly becoming a world leader in
the production of gemstone-quality diamonds and the high-tech, high-paying
jobs that go with modern hard-rock mining.
The $1-billion Ekati Mine in NWT, Canada's first diamond mine, opened
in 1998, creating hundreds of jobs for Aboriginal people and northerners.
Today, production is about 2.5 million carats a year with an average
price of $249 per carat, one of the highest prices in the world.
Ekati has triggered a high-stakes search for diamond deposits across
Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Labrador and the North.
Modern-day prospectors are investing millions each year.
NRCan scientists, using a variety of leading-edge technologies and techniques,
are assessing a region's potential for diamonds and contributing to environmental
studies.
Diamonds -- another high-value commodity where Canada is a world leader.
Natural Resources Canada: Canadian science for sustainable Canadian jobs.
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