Gahcho Kué Mine sponsored a Thanksgiving dinner on Oct. 11 for health-care workers in Yellowknife who were working over the holiday weekend.
In conjunction with Copperhouse restaurant, 200 Thanksgiving dinners for staff at Stanton Territorial Hospital and four other locations around Yellowknife were prepared.
“When De Beers called to ask if we could do this, we were all in, right away,” stated Paul Henry, co-owner of the Copperhouse. “We have a couple of community organizations that we support, including the hospital and health-care workers.”
Around dinners 140 went to the staff, while about 60 dinners were provided to the Yellowknife homeless drop-in centre.
“Since August, medical professionals and support staff have worked tirelessly to manage a record number of Covid-19 cases throughout the NWT,” said Kelly Brenton, social performance manager for Gahcho Kué. “What better way to say thank you than to provide a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to people who are hard at work on Thanksgiving weekend and can’t be at home with their families.”
The meals consisted of turkey breast, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, cranberries and roasted vegetables.
“Nearly 150 staff and physicians were on duty in Yellowknife over the holiday, working hard to contain the current (Covid) outbreak, and to care for residents hospitalized with Covid-19 and other health conditions,” said Kim Riles, CEO of the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority. “This was a meaningful gesture of support for our frontline workforce at a time when the pressures on the health-care system are weighing heavy – a true act of thanksgiving.”
The cost of the dinners was fully covered by Gahcho Kué Mine– a joint venture between operator De Beers Group, with 51 per cent ownership, and Mountain Province Diamonds, 49 per cent owners – with Copperhouse providing a reduced price per meal.
“Our team wanted to do something to thank health-care workers for their contributions,” said Terry Kruger, senior communications officer for De Beers Group, “especially during the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19 in the NWT. Health-care workers have done so much to help keep all NWT residents healthy and it is important to recognize that.”