This region’s director for the Métis Nation says the prospect of jobs at the planned Star Orion South Diamond Project is an “awesome opportunity” for her people.
She added the environmental and compensation concerns the local First Nation had with the project was not a priority for her organization whereas securing employment was. If it becomes operational, the mine in the Forte à la Corne area, about 60 kilometres east of Prince Albert, could run for over 30 years and recover millions of diamonds, injecting billions of dollars into the provincial coffers.
“Any time we can get our Métis people employed and especially with the jobs of this essence … it’s an awesome opportunity I think, and hopefully we can all benefit from it,” Sherry McLennan, the regional director for the Métis Nation Western Region 2 told paNOW.
McLennan was speaking after an information and update session in her office Sunday given by representatives of mining giant Rio Tinto, which has options to mine the diamonds. The reps briefed the Métis leadership before also giving a presentation to certain invited guests, McLennan said. She is also part of a committee of stakeholders that is part of quarterly updates about the long-proposed mine.
“They’re not hiring right now,” McLennan said, “The presentation was just to let people know this project is coming and there will be jobs later on for things like heavy equipment operators, and cooks, and so on.”
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