ODDS’N’SODS — Small incident helps make big mine

This is a story of an accomplished geologist whose experience and knowledge contributed to the discovery of the large, high-grade copper zone that made Geco a great mine.

To recount, in the spring of 1953, Murdoch Mosher, one of Canada’s great prospectors, sent two of his men (Burquist and a chap called Windy Sam) into the area north of Heron

Bay to prospect for nickel. The decision was based on reports of a nickel discovery in the Pic River district. The two eventually worked their way into the Manitouwadge Lake area to investigate the sulphide showing that had been reported on an old map of the Ontario Department of Mines.

Before they left town, Murdoch stressed how tough it was to raise money and insisted that they must be careful with their expenses. They located and staked the sulphide showing at the northeastern corner of the lake but decided not to record the claims, as the sulphides they saw were mainly pyrite with some sphalerite (and zinc was a depressed metal in 1953).

They continued prospecting, going west. In the meantime, a trio from Geraldton had flown in to look at the showing and note the recent stakings. They returned to town and waited to see if the claims would be recorded. When it became clear that they were not, they returned and staked the prospect.

In mid-August, the claims caught the interest of Bill Hargraft, an engineer who liked what he saw and optioned the prospect on behalf of the General Engineering Co., which, in turn, brought in two partners: Consolidated Howey Gold Mines with a 25% interest and H.W. Knight with another 25%.

In mid-September, a diamond drill was moved to the property and, over the next month and a half, a series of short drill holes indicated the presence of a 50-ft.-wide zone averaging 10% zinc, 1% copper and about 2 oz. silver. In the interim, Consolidated Howey had increased its percentage to 44%. (The holes were drilled to a depth of 250 ft. and over a strike length of 1100 ft.) It was apparent to the partners that the mineralized zone would not make ore (as it was basically a zinc deposit situated in a remote area), and stopping and removing the drill was the next step.

At this time, “Chip” McCloskey, president of Consolidated Howey, engaged Bill Ringsleben, a consulting geologist, to visit the site and give his recommendation prior to terminating the drilling program. Mr. Ringsleben noted that, to the west, the E-W zinc zone truncated against an N-S fault called the Fox Creek fault. On the western side of this fault and about 250 ft. to the south, he noted a weak E-W shear which, it was believed, might be the western continuation of the faulted zone.

Examining the shear, he noted only minor flecks of pyrite — and that’s all. As he walked south from the shear towards the lake, and on the west bank of Fox creek, Mr. Ringsleben dug a few holes into the ground and noted malachite (copper mineral) stains in the varved clays. He reasoned that the copper had been leached from the shear on the western side of the fault and recommended to Consolidated Howey that two holes be drilled to test the shear prior to removing the drill from the property.

The group (now called Geco Mines) accepted his recommendation and, in December, drilled the first hole on the western side of the Fox creek fault.

Hole 17 (the first hole west of the fault) intersected 96 ft. averaging 4.84% copper and 2.8% zinc, as well as 3.23 oz. silver per ton. The rest is history. As for Burquist and Windy Sam, they entered the subsequent rush and staked some sulphides they had located farther west. This showing became Lun-Echo Gold Mine’s property, which developed into a modest base metal producer.

— The author, a retired mining engineer, resides in Delta, B.C.