Calgary, AB Canada, Sept. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- De Beers Group is proud to announce a CAD$250,000 contribution from the Anglo American Foundation to support wildfire recovery in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) and British Columbia (B.C.).
The donation includes CAD$200,000 to the United Way NWT Emergency Response Fund and CAD$50,000 to the United Way British Columbia United for B.C. Wildfire Recovery Fund to support the recovery, protection and prevention efforts in the two jurisdictions The contribution is in addition to CAD$70,000 donated by De Beers to support wildfire relief in the NWT since May.
Moses Madondo, Managing Director of De Beers Group Managed Operations, which oversees De Beers’ operations in Canada and South Africa, said: “We are grateful for the support from the Anglo American Foundation. The funding aligns with our value of Show We Care, and will help establish and support a culture of resilience and safety that will assist people and communities recover from the disastrous wildfires and possibly help prevent similar situations from happening in the future.”
The NWT is experiencing the worst wildfire season on record, with more than 12,000 square kilometres of forest and tundra burned so far this year and two-thirds of the Territory’s population were forced from their homes for several weeks.
Jacq Brasseur, Emergency Response Coordinator with United Way NWT, said: “As we see people begin to return home after weeks of evacuation, the need to help individuals, organizations, businesses and communities recover is as great as ever. We have already provided more than $1.5 million during this wildfire season and this contribution from the Anglo American Foundation will help us continue to support this essential work.”
CLICK HERE to learn more about the United Way NWT Emergency Response Fund.
British Columbia is also experiencing its worst wildfire season on record, including evacuations in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions and the destruction of hundreds of homes and businesses.
Since B.C. Wildfire Recovery Fund was established in 2021, the B.C. United Way has provided more than $545,000 in grants to dozens of organizations to support over 5,000 people in close to 90 communities.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the United for B.C. Wildfire Recovery Fund.
The Anglo American Foundation is an independent charitable organization funded by Anglo American plc. The company owns 85% of De Beers Group. Anglo American has an exploration office in Vancouver, B.C., owns Peace River Coal in northeastern B.C., currently in care and maintenance, and holds a 9.9% stake in Canada Nickel, owner of the Crawford nickel project near Timmins, Ontario.
In 2022, the Anglo American Foundation provided $356,000 to support construction of an Early Childhood Learning Centre in Fort Resolution, NWT. Since 2019, the Foundation has also supported 10 employee volunteer projects in the NWT, Ontario, and Alberta through the Ambassadors for Good program.
De Beers employs more than 600 people in Canada. It is the operator of the joint venture Gahcho Kué mine in the NWT, is actively closing Snap Lake mine in the NWT and Victor mine in northern Ontario, has an active exploration team searching for new diamond deposits in Canada, and is advancing the Chidliak Project to establish a technological diamond mine on Baffin Island using FutureSmart Mining™ principles.
