Out of AfricaJim Gowans, president and CEO of De Beers Canada, tells Martin Ashcroft about the challenges of mining for diamonds in some of the remotest parts of Canada. CanadaÔÇÖs mining industry is about to enter a new chapter with the imminent opening of a record setting new diamond mine. De Beers, the name synonymous with diamonds, is on the verge of opening its Snap Lake Mine, remarkably the first mine to be opened by De Beers outside of Africa.

Rocks in a hard placeThrough the experience of executives at the EKATI Diamond Mine, Martin Ashcroft discovers how specific incremental improvement programs in individual businesses within BHP Billiton have evolved into a business excellence program where best practices from around the world are replicated across the organization. To say that this place is remote is somewhat of an understatement. The city of Yellowknife, capital of CanadaÔÇÖs Northwest Territories, lies almost 200 miles (300 kilometers) south-west.

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