Sexual harassment alleged at Ekati mine

Two women have filed complaints that they were sexually harassed while working at BHP Billiton's Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories, CBC News has learned.

At the time of the alleged harassment, Laura Lorenzon and Diane Taylor were in training with the Procon-Kete Whii joint venture, which is BHP Billiton's largest contractor. They left the mine site last week and filed a complaint with the contracting company.

The women had invited CBC News to attend a Jan. 11 investigation hearing with Procon-Kete Whii officials in Yellowknife, but officials refused to allow reporters into the hearing.

Taylor and Lorenzon allege they faced repeated assault and sexual harassment by co-workers and even supervisors at the mine, located about 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.

The complaints range from repeated sexual innuendo and being pushed around, to being denied bathroom access for more than six hours at a time. One man even urinated in front of them deliberately, they allege.

Officials with BHP Billiton refused to be interviewed about the case. In a letter to CBC News, Ekati president Ricus Grimbeek said the complaints are a serious matter between Procon-Kete Whii and its employees.

At the time of the alleged assaults, both women were training for unspecified underground work with the contractor. Their training was sponsored by the Mine Training Society, which is a partnership between the diamond companies operating in the N.W.T. and four aboriginal groups.

Most of the society's funding comes from the federal departments of Human Resources and Indian and Northern Affairs, as well as the territorial Department of Education and Employment.

Society manager Hillary Jones also declined an interview with CBC News.

Managers at Procon-Kete Whii, which is in British Columbia, said their investigation is not yet complete.