Many workers at the N.W.T.'s three diamond mines identified the high cost of living as an obstacle to living in the territory, with some preferring to maintain their hometowns in southern Canada because of it. (CBC)

The high cost of living in the North, along with proximity to their families, are key issues for people who work in the Northwest Territories' diamond mines, according to a survey released this week.

The N.W.T. government survey, tabled in the territorial legislature this week, was based on surveys of 1,705 mine employees last year on how they felt about working and living in the territory, which is home to three operating diamond mines.

Diamond mining is considered to be the N.W.T.'s most important economic driver, but a longstanding concern has been how best to have more northern residents in the mining workforce.

Steve Walsh, who heads the union local representing workers at BHP Billiton's Ekati mine, said the informal social chatter among workers confirm what he's seen in the survey.

"Definitely, the closeness to family, as well as the cost of living and the cost of housing are key points," Walsh told CBC News.

According to the survey, workers identified good jobs and plenty of recreational activities in the N.W.T. as advantages of working in the territory.

For workers who reside in the territory, they like the close proximity to their families, the survey said.

Workers from outside the N.W.T. who come north on two-week shift rotations, said it's been difficult to be so far from their families. Those same workers also identified high housing and utility costs as major problems.

Higher costs affect everyone: minister

The survey also indicates that nearly half of N.W.T. residents who work for the mines would likely leave the territory if a good job opportunity cams up in the next year. In those cases, the cost of living was cited as a major factor in their desire to move.

"I was a bit surprised because people are saying if the right opportunity comes along, they'll move south. I would've thought that more northerners would stay in the north to be closer to their families," Industry Minister Bob McLeod said.

"The higher cost of living has impacts on everybody."

The report, which was tabled Wednesday, will be reviewed by officials from government and the three diamond mines, the Ekati mine, Rio Tinto's Diavik mine and DeBeers Canada's Snap Lake mine.

McLeod said the government is setting a modest goal of attracting 100 southern-based mine workers to move to the N.W.T. and live there for three years.

The territorial government also hopes the northern-based workers who said they would leave the region for the right job will decide to stay put instead.