Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI31C06NW00019

Record: MDI31C06NW00019

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s)	Blakely - 1981
Related Record Type	Simple
Related Record(s)
Record Status	Past Producing Mine Without Reserves or Resources
Date Created	1981-Oct-13
Date Last Modified	2023-Aug-28
Created By
Revised By

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Fluorite

Secondary Commodities: Barite, Calcite, Silver, Strontium, Zinc

Location

Township or Area: Huntingdon

Latitude: 44° 28' 23.22" Longitude: -77° 28' 29.05"

UTM Zone: 18 Easting: 303172.439 Northing: 4927402.047 UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Southern Ontario

NTS Grid: 31C06NW

Point Location Description: Shaft 'FL' nearest property symbol 4 just south of Moira Lake

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: From Highway # 62, south of Moira Lake turn west on the Blakely road. Proceed along this road for approximately 1000 feet, before heading due south in the bush for approximately 650 feet. This brings one to pit #1.

Exploration History

Vein discovered in 1916. Mined from open cuts, adits and 22.8 m. shaft. Stephen Wellington operated the mine between 1918 and 1920, Canada Fluorspar operated in 1928, and C.A. Stoklosar between 1941 and 1947. Total production 5,026 tons of ore. On December 23, 1999 the main open stope was blasted and closed off. The surface was leveled, leaving only two open cuts, #2 and #3, in the side of the ridge to the north near Moira Lake. Shaft #3 was filled in January of 2000.

Geology

Province: Grenville

Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (C Papertzian) - The vein was mined over a length of 300 feet. The workings are located along the base of a northeasterly-facing escarpment of Black River limestone, which rises 60 feet above the shaft collar and 75 feet above Moira Lake. The vein strikes N45W along the base of the limestone bluff, but finally passes under it to the north west. The vein is 2 to 6 feet wide in underground workings. At the 114 foot level, the vein width is about 4 feet. The vein material to the north consists of plae yellow to green fluorite, pink to white calcite, and creamy-white barite. The mine dump indicates that grey-brown sphalerite is common in the wall zone, where it often occurs as a thin skin, coating breccia fragments of the Black River limestone wallrock. White to pale blue celestite is also present in minor amounts. Banding in the vein material is not especially obvious, although one sequence that appears common is a 3 inch calcite-sphalerite zone adjacent to the walls, followed by coarse fluorite containing minor amounts of barite in scattered patches. Elsewhere the three principal minerals, fluorite, calcite barite, are distributed without apparent order. Brecciation of the wallrock is common. The presence of pale-green limestone on the mine dump indicates that the deepest workings are in the basal beds of the Black River Group. According to Wilson (1929), p.58, barite predominates in the southern occurrence.

Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank	Mineral Name	Class	Economic Mineral Type
1	Barite	Economic	Ore
2	Calcite	Economic	Ore
3	Celestite	Economic	Ore
4	Fluorite	Economic	Ore
5	Sphalerite	Economic	Ore

Mineralization Comments

Jul 10, 2023 (Sheree Hinz) - Baryto-celestite occurs as masses of radiated, fibrous, white crystals, associated with barytes and fluorite, on lot 10, concession XII, of the township of Huntingdon (Blakeley mine), Hastings county. A sample of this baryto-celestite was analyzed and returned 85.10% BaSO4.

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: Dec 24, 1999

Geologist: C Papertzian

Notes: The deposit was visited in mid August, 1999, to outline the hazards associated with it. It was again visited on Dec 23, 1999, to examine the rehabilitation that had been completed by Geologic Ltd., from Peterborough, Ontario. The main open cut had been blasted and leveled. Open cut #2 and #3 are all that remain as old workings. Shaft #3 is to be filled in January of 2000. Part of the raise area near open cut #1 still remains to be blasted and leveled. Here, the stope appears to continue for another 30 feet towards open cut #2 with only a 2 foot crown pillar composed of fractured limestone.

Date: Dec 01, 2000

Geologist: C Papertzian

Notes: On June 8, 2000 this site was visited to inspect for any subsidence that may have occurred after the rehabilitation was completed in early January of 2000. No subsidence was apparent on this date.

Date: Jan 20, 2005

Geologist: C Papertzian

Notes: On March 18th, 2004 this site was visited to inspect for any subsidence that may have occurred after the rehabilitation was completed in early January of 2000. No subsidence was apparent on this date.

References

Publication - Barium and strontium in Canada; Canada Mines Branch, Publication 570

Publication Number: CMB Pub 570 Page: 86 Date: 1922

Author: Spence, H S

Publisher Name: Canada Mines Branch

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/307770

Publication - Rocks and minerals for the collector: Hull-Maniwaki, Quebec; Ottawa-Peterborough, Ontario; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 69-50

Publication Number: Paper 69-50 Page: 127-128 Date: 1976

Author: Sabina, A P

Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada

Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/103344

Map - Madoc area, Ontario

Publication Number: M2053 Scale: 1:126,720 Date: 1997

Author: Hewitt D.F.