Local Musher Beck Wins Diavik 150

– NEWS ITEM –

Diavik Diamond Mine is pleased to announce another successful Diavik 150 Canadian Championship Dog Derby. The action over the 3-day race was exciting, drawing teams not only from the home town of Yellowknife and elsewhere in Canada, but also from France and the United States.John Beck of Yellowknife took top honours in this the 54th running of the event. Not only did Beck finish first in the 15 team field, he set a record time completing the 241-kilometre race in nine hours, 32 minutes, and 43 seconds. This was Beck’s third win, having successfully won the top prize in 2002 and 2004. A member of well-known dog mushing Beck family, his brother Brent Beck also did well, finishing in second place, 20 minutes behind the winner.

Last year’s winner, Wyoming musher Wendy Davis took third with a time of 10 hours, 2 minutes and 10 seconds with Grant Beck, John and Brent’s uncle, finishing fourth with a time of 10 hours, 46, minutes, and seven seconds.

“Yellowknife really pulled together for this event ─ the sponsors, the volunteers, the competitors, it was all very gratifying,” said event organizer Carol Beck. “Racing conditions were perfect. Overall it was awesome,” she added. The three-day event concluded Sunday with an awards banquet.

Dog racing is very much a part of northern history, and Dene, Metis and Inuit people relied on their teams for subsistence, to support hunting, trapping and fishing activities, as well as for community travel. The advent of the snowmobile has largely replaced dogs for these activities, and there only a very few working teams left in Canada. However, through recreational racing events like the Diavik 150, a significant community of dog racers keeps the tradition alive. Diavik is proud to help support this Canadian championship dog race, begun in 1955. For more on this year’s race, visit www.diavik150.com.

The Diavik Diamond Mine, located 300 km. northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, is an unincorporated joint venture between DDMI (60%) and Harry Winston Diamond Mines Ltd. (40%). Both companies are headquartered in Yellowknife, Canada. DDMI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto plc of London, England, and Harry Winston Diamond Mines Ltd. is wholly owned by Harry Winston Diamond Corporation of Toronto, Canada. DDMI is the operator of the project. For further information contact Tom Hoefer, Manager of Communications & External Relations at Tel: (867) 669-6500, or visit the DDMI website at www.diavik.ca.

April 2008