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Weekly UpdatesAn historic gold camp in northwestern Ontario is getting a second look for mineralization this winter.
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The Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) launched an airborne geophysical survey in January to probe the mineral prospects in the area of the town of Mine Centre.
The month-long geoscience program is aimed at identifying new mineral occurrences for attracting investment by junior miners and for the province's land-use planners.
The OGS' Jack Parker, senior manager in the Precambrian Geoscience section, said there was gold exploration and production at the turn of the last century in the area but there is also the potential for volcanic massive sulphides (VMS) for copper and zinc.
The $385,000 airborne survey will measure the magnetism, gravity and electrical conductivity in the rock. Aeroquest Surveys of Mississauga has been contracted to do the work. The data collected will be published later this year.
The 500-square-kilometre, or 3,000-line kilometre survey got underway during the first week of January and should last the month. It covers a portion of the Rainy Lake area encompassing the town and extend as far west as the Bear Pass area.
"Exploration activity in that area has been fairly steady over the years," said Parker. "There's some interesting properties that have gotten a lot of attention."
OGS last surveyed the area's bedrock in the early 1980s, but with improved technology, it's worth checking out again.
Mine Centre is halfway between Atikokan and Fort Frances on Highway 11.
As the town's name suggests, there's historic mineralization and production, including a copper occurrence which became the Port Arthur copper mine at the turn of the last century.
Kenora District Geologist Craig Ravnaas said there's big VMS (volcanic massive sulphide) potential for other minerals including iron titanium and valadium as well as gold, and he's been promoting Mine Centre to exploration firms.
Many of the occurrences are close to Highway 11 especially running south and west toward Swell Bay on eastern Rainy Lake.
Historic gold production first goes back to 1893 when three mines--the Olive, Golden Star and Foley Mine--produced about 485 kg of gold. The entire camp of about a half-dozen mines was active up until the 1930s.
Two companies are now working the area: Minnesota's New Max Resources and Q-Gold Resources, the latter having set up shop at the workings of the Foley Mine. There, they have de-watered and rehabbed the North Shaft down to the 450-foot level of the 100-year-old North Shaft to do underground drilling.
Ontario Prospectors Association (OPA) executive director Garry Clark said the Mine Centre survey will compliment the nearby Atikokan Mineral Development Initiative which is being directed by his group. The OPA is in the process of organizing a large airborne survey of more than 11,000 line kilometres around Atikokan in the area of Crooked Pine Lake, Lumby Lake and as far south as Quetico Park.
Clark said two large magnetic surveys over Lumby and Finlayson Lakes are completed and his group is looking to get the results published through the OGS.
A third phase is starting with another airborne magnetic survey of more than 11,000 line kilometres.
Brett Resources is starting up diamond drilling and Canadian Arrow is working on a platinum-palladium play.
www.geologyontario.mndm.gov.on.ca
BY IAN ROSS
Northern Ontario Business
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