Lee Barker

How did you get your start in the mineral industry?

Developed and interest in the 1950s through family contacts with the Cadesky Brothers and people related to Denison Mines - fascinated about stories of prospecting, claim staking and the stock market. Started out studying Mining Engineering and switched into Geological Engineering half way through university. Was told in high school not to go into mining by guidance counselors but as a contrarian and wanting to study surveying, I initially chose mining to study. I switched into geology after two field seasons on geological survey parties.

What was the most fulfilling project you ever worked on, and why?

The Diavik diamond project in NWT. I was president of a private company called West Viking Exploration that financed the initial claim staking near the Ekati discovery and eventually merged with Aber Resources which became Aber Diamonds and then Dominion Diamonds. I directed the generation of the original geophysical data base and initial field exploration that discovered over 60 kimberlite pipes on the Diavik Property including the pipes that were and are still in production today. I also generated the name "Diavik" after the words diamonds and West Viking. The project started with a claim staking rush tying on to the first legitimate diamond discovery in Canada and ended up with Canada's second diamond mine (the most expensive ever developed in the world) that was a huge financial success.