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ATTAWAPISKAT, Ont. — De Beers Canada says a group of Attawapiskat residents is blockading the main winter road leading to the company’s Victor diamond mine in northern Ontario.

De Beers says the blockade began Monday evening on a road the company uses to move in supplies like fuel, machine parts and equipment that would be too heavy to fly in.

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The blockade has not yet impacted the mine’s operations, but has forced De Beers to cease operations on the road.

The mine is about 90 kilometres west of Attawapiskat.

Attawapiskat became the epicentre of the Idle No More movement after Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence went on hunger protest late last year.

Last Winter, Spence declared a state of emergency amid poor housing conditions and Attawapiskat became a nationwide example of poverty-stricken conditions on reserves.

Ottawa eventually rushed 22 modular homes to Attawapiskat.

In 2009, De Beers donated camp trailers to the community, but they were meant to provide short-term shelter. However, they are currently being upgraded to help with the housing shortage.

Tensions between the First Nations leadership and De Beers have been high, as noted by the National Post‘s John Ivison.

Theresa Spence said “precious diamonds from my land grace the fingers and necklaces of Hollywood celebrities.” That is highly charged language. But it is disingenuous. De Beers is investing $1-billion in the Victor mine near Attawapiskat. It agreed to pay the band about $30-million over the 12-year life span of the mine. A further $325-million in contracts has been funnelled through companies owned by the band, to supply catering, helicopters, dynamite and the like.