Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D09NW00018

Record: MDI42D09NW00018

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Feldspar (Gemstones)

Location

Township or Area: Pic

Latitude: 48° 44' 54.02"    Longitude: -86° 21' 52.92"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 546701   Northing: 5399674.99    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D09NW

Point Location Description: AMIS quarry location

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The occurrence consists of a single patented claim, TB 109470 (NE 1/4, N1/2, Lot 19, Conc. 11), in north-central Pic Township. It is located north of the town of Marathon and can be accessed by road. From Highway 17 drive towards Marathon approximately 1.6 km, take the bush road which leads to the west. Follow the bush road until it ends at the point where Shack Creek exits Shack Lake. The southern boundary of the claim crosses the creek.

Exploration History

1963: C.S. Downey staked a single claim over a schiller feldspar occurrence. 1964: A face was stripped and blasted at the showing. 1965: A pit was blasted and three holes drilled into the showing. Coarse-grained 'labradorite' was intersected in all the holes. 1975: The claim was sent to lease under the name of C.S. Downey. Jon and Audrey Ferguson obtained ownership of claim from Clem Downey. 1989: Cold Spring Granite (Canada) Ltd. drilled 1 DDH totaling 30.8 m. 1992: The Fergusons and Secobel Explorations Inc. formed a working agreement to develop the site. Three holes drilled around the showing, spectrolite was intersected in all three.

Assessment Work on File

Geology

Province: Southern

Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic  

Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The occurrence is underlain by Fe-rich augite syenite (Walker et al. 1992) of the Proterozoic Coldwell Alkalic complex. Geological mapping over the area was done by Puskas (1967) and recently by Walker et al. (1991, 1992). The property was last described in detail by Kustra (1968) and Schnieders et al. (1991).

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - The spectrolite occurs within the syenite as two phases: large crystals up to 10 cm across in pegmatite dikes cross-cutting the syenite; and smaller crystals within the contact zone between the pegmatite and medium-grained host syenite (Figure 17). In both cases the spectrolite displays bluish to yellow-gold schillerescence. Ribbe (1983) states, 'Schiller' may be used to refer to diffuse, often silvery reflections from mutually oriented, platy inclusions, especially common in labradorite parallel to (010) (Rayleigh 1923).

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (R Degagne) - In 1990 M.C. Smyk, Staff Geologist, Schreiber-Hemlo District, sent a sample for XRD analysis to H. de Souza of the Geoscience Laboratories in Toronto. It was reported, 'X-ray diffraction analysis of the 'spectrolite' shows the presence of plagioclase and minor K-feldspar (anti-perthite). The schiller effects may be brought about by diffraction that occurs at the boundary of exsolution lamellae' (Schnieders et al. 1991).

Mineral Record Details

Mineral Zones - Size and Shape

Rank: 1       Structure Type: Contact

Site Visit Information

Date: Jan 06, 1997

Geologist: R Degagne

Notes: Visited in 1990-1993, 1994 by P. Hinz | R. M. Landry ( OGS OFR 5889, 1994) COMMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS: Advice was sought by the Ferguson's, in regards to developing their spectrolite property. They are evaluating the property's potential as a pick-your-own tourist operation similar to the amethyst mines near Thunder Bay. A meeting was held with representatives of the Town of Marathon, Secobel Explorations Inc. (potential developers), the Ferguson's, M.C. Smyk (Staff Geologist, Schreiber-Hemlo District) and P. Hinz. Advice was provided on geology, further exploration of the site's potential, marketing, permitting requirements and available funding vehicles for development.

References

Map - Port Coldwell area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: P0114 Scale: 1:31,680    Date: 1997

Author: Puskas F.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Mono - Industrial Mineral Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario

Publication Number: OFR5889 Scale:     Date: 1994

Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Article - Geology of the Coldwell alkaline complex

Publication Number: MP157.018 Scale:     Date: 1998

Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Map - Precambrian Geology, Port Coldwell Complex, East Half

Publication Number: P3233 Scale: 1:20,000    Date: 1993

Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T., Penczak R.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Article - Geology of the Port Coldwell alkalic complex

Publication Number: MP160.019 Scale:     Date: 1997

Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T., Penczak R.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

MonoMap - Geology of the Port Coldwell area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: OFR5014 Scale:     Date: 1997

Author: Puskas F.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Article - Port Arthur District

Publication Number: MP023.003 Scale:     Date: 1997

Author: Kustra C.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office