Canadian diamonds The Ekati Diamond Mine is Canada's first underground diamond operation, and is owned by Dominion Diamond Mines. To date, Ekati has produced nearly 40 million carats of uncut diamond stones out of 6 open pit mines. The Renard diamond mine is Quebec's first diamond mine. The mine is expected to produce an average of 1.6 million carats per year over an initial 14-year mine life. The Snap Lake Diamond Mine is located northeast of Yellowknife as well, not far from Diavik. Snap lake is owned by De Beers and was their first mine outside of Africa. Snap Lake is also
Hugo Dummett on a "shoestring," staked some promising ground near Lac de Gras in 1989. Dummett took a new job with BHP Minerals in 1989, and convinced his new employer to lease their property. In 1991, BHP drilling on their leased claims found micro-diamonds, sparking one of largest claimstaking rushes in mining history. Under Dummet's direction, BHP eventually developed commercial diamond reserves in five pipes; the discovery pipe turned out to be non-commercial. BHP began the permitting process for the Ekati Diamond Mine in 1995, received final approval in 1997, and opened the mine late in 1998. By 2009, annual sales from