The Diavik diamond mine in northern Canada has released its mid-year socio-economic report for 2012 and is priding itself on its accomplishments to date. The mine noted that it had spent nearly $150 million in the region in the first six months of the calendar year.



During this period, the diamond company spent about $240 million and about five-eighths of this remained in the Northwest Territories. Significantly, about a quarter of the company's expenditures contributed to businesses owned by First Nations people. Diavik's cumulative spending amounted to $3.8 billion, $2.1 billion of which went to firms owned or partially owned by First Nations.



Diavik noted that of the 1165 people on its payroll, over half were permanent residents of Canada's northern regions. The firm said that it had contributed approximately $125,000 to over forty local charity initiatives in the first half of 2012.