De Beers Canada: looking down the pipe.

• Author: Ulrichsen, Heidi
• Position: TOP PLACES TO WORK - Company overview

Imagine working in a place where the landscape is unspoiled and dotted with pristine lakes and wildlife.

Those who are hired to work on the new De Beers Canada Victor diamond mine, located in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario, approximately 90 km west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat, will find themselves in such a landscape.

"In the summer, the colours are very vivid. There's a stark contrast between the blue of the water and the green of the vegetation. It's like an intricate, free-flowing pattern of blue and green," said Linda Dorrington, director of public and corporate affairs with De Beers Canada.

"In the winter, it's stark white. Everything is covered with snow and ice. It looks like a very different place."

Production at the Victor mine will start next year, and will be slowly ramped up until it is operating at full capacity. By this time, 372 people will be working at the mine.

Development is only slightly behind another De Beers diamond mine project in Snap Lake, Northwest Territories, where production is due to start on a limited basis this month. Four hundred twelve people will eventually work there. Another 125 people work for De Beers at offices in Toronto, Yellowknife and Timmins. Worldwide, the diamond mining giant employs 22,000 people in 25 countries.

De Beers is currently recruiting people to work at the Victor mine, said Dorrington. Some of the positions currently listed on the company's website include mine engineer, electrical and instrumentation supervisor, mine production supervisor and maintenance engineer.

"We know there's a skill shortage, and we have been working for quite awhile to prepare ourselves for production and to make sure that people are aware of the opportunities that are available to our project," she said.

"So far, we're on track for our hiring targets."

Many of the employees will spend two weeks working at the mine, and then the company will fly them to Timmins, where they would catch planes to their homes in the south.

Starting salaries depend on the position, but Dorrington said all employees are paid competitive wages and have access to mining bonuses.

They will also receive full medical benefits, including dental and vision coverage. Some of their medical care will be provided in the company's own medical clinic at Victor.

When they're not at home with their families, employees will stay on-site in comfortable private rooms. There's also a recreation room with a pool table and...