Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D14SE00064

Record: MDI42D14SE00064

General

Mineral Record Identification
Record Name(s) Cape Victoria - 1875, D. McKellar - 1875
Related Record Type Simple
Related Record(s)
Record Status Occurrence
Date Created 1991-Mar-31
Date Last Modified 2022-May-09
Created By
Revised By

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Zinc, Lead, Molybdenum, Gold



Location

Township or Area: Syine

Latitude: 48° 46' 42.36"    Longitude: -87° 1' 11.15"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 498548   Northing: 5402826    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D14SE, 42D15SW

Point Location Description: Location of Showing 2 in AFRI 42D15SW0113

Location Method: Conversion from MDI

Access Description: The original occurrence (Victoria Cape Occurrence #1) is located in Syine Township about 5 km east of Terrace Bay. It is described as being located on the eastern side of Victoria Cape and on the western side of Jackfish Bay of Lake Superior and north of the granite-greenstone contact and in the granite (Hopkins, 1922). Access is via watercraft from Terrace Bay of Lake Superior or Jackfish Lake. Only a small boat (approx. 16 foot) may be navigated through the Jackfish tunnel. Care must be taken on Lake Superior as Cape Victoria is open to rough water conditions and fog.



Exploration History

1875: Discovered by Donald McKellar. 1923: Rediscovered by William Longworth. 1982: Staked by D. Bremner. 1983: Transferred all interest to Rocco A. Schiralli. An option agreement with MacMillan Energy Corporation and Highmark Resources Ltd. was initiated. A combined airborne geophysical (EM, MAG, VLF) survey was carried out. 1985: The option partners carried out ground magnetometer and electromagnetic, geological and geochemical surveys. 1986: The property was staked by E. Johnson. 1987: Orofino Resources Limited conducted line cutting, humus geochemical surveys, mag and VLF geophysical surveys, geological mapping and sampling.


Assessment Work on File

Assessment Work on File
Office File Number Online Assessment File Identifier Online Assessment File Directory
2.10797 42D14SE1071 42D14SE1071
2.8192 42D15SW0113 42D15SW0113

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Archean  



Geology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (B Nelson) - The Report of the Royal Commission on the Mineral Resources of Ontario (1890) described the showing as: In 1875, Mr. Donald McKellar found small nuggets of gold in a vein of quartz cutting reddish granite at Victoria Cape on the western side of Jackfish Bay, on the northern shore of Lake Superior. Another vein of quartz 0.45 m to 1 m thick, holding iron pyrites, galena and blende (zincblende or sphalerite) and cutting the granite in close proximity to slaty diorite at this locality, yielded an assay $27 worth of gold per ton. (Resident Geologist's Files, Schreiber Hemlo District, Thunder Bay) The Canadian Mining Journal (October 19, 1923) reports: Victoria Cape William Longworth has rediscovered a vein varying from eighteen inches to 4 feet, traceable for three quarters of a mile, located in greatly altered granite on the contact, at Victoria Cape, on the west shore of Jackfish Bay. The vein has been stripped for 800 feet, and has been carefully measured and channel sampled for this distance, carrying values varying from $2.50 to $30, averaging rather better than $10. This vein was originally discovered by the late Donald McKellar, in 1875, and was the first discovery of free gold on the north shore of Lake Superior. At that time Mr. McKellar did some preliminary work and sampling, resulting in returns varying form $2 to $27 per ton, but nothing was ever done with it until Mr. Longworth began operations this summer. Mr. Craig, Manager and Mr. Huston, consulting engineer for the Tonopah Mining Company, arrived on the property on the 6th instant, for the purpose of making an examination, with a view to purchase. (Resident Geologist's Files, Schreiber Hemlo District, Thunder Bay).




Lithology

Lithology Data
Rock Type Rank Composition Texture Relationship
Granite 1 Host
Vein 2 Quartz Host

Mineralization

Mineralization and Alteration
Rank Mineral Name Class Economic Mineral Type Alteration Mineral Type Alteration Ranking Alteration Intensity Alteration Style
1GalenaEconomicOre
2PyriteEconomicOre
3SphaleriteEconomicOre
1QuartzEconomicGangue
QuartzAlterationSilicification1UnknownDisseminated

Mineralization Comments

Apr 30, 2018 (B Nelson) - The gold occurrences described in the historic literature above were not visited by the authors, and likely not discovered by recent workers. Further work including prospecting and sampling to both re-discover historic occurrences as well as gold anomalies discovered by Orofino Resources Ltd. is warranted. The Victoria Cape #4 Occurrence vein displays a milky white, barren looking quartz with pyrite cubes up to 8 cm across. Minor galena was also noted. Six samples collected in 1989 assayed up to 0.01 ounce per ton Au and 0.17 ounce per ton Ag from Victoria Cape #2 and #4. (Resident Geologist's Files, Schreiber Hemlo District, Thunder Bay).


Apr 30, 2018 (Therese Pettigrew) - In 1875 two auriferous quartz veins within the granite were discovered by McKellar. One of the showings was associated with pyrite and galena and was near the contact with the volcanics. Later work outlined a 0.45 to 1.2 m wide vein with a 243.8 m length which reported assays of 0.12 to 1.43 oz. Au/ton (4.1 to 49.0 gpt Au). In later years, Orofino took five grab samples from a 0.3 to 0.9 m wide quartz vein which is thought to be the original showing area. The samples returned assays from trace to 0.10 oz. Au/ton (3.42 gpt Au). A grab sample from a second quartz vein, about 3.5 m east of the first area, returned an assay of 0.02 oz. Au/ton (0.69 gpt Au). The vein trends 084 degrees and dips to the south at between 060 and 066 degrees (AFRI 42D14SE1071). Based on AFRI 42D15SW0113, Showing No. 1 is located at approx. NAD83 UTM Zone 16 498787 m E 5403499 m N and assayed up to 0.043 opt Au (1.47 gpt Au). Showing No. 2 and 5 are located at approx. NAD83 UTM Zone 16 498548 m E 5402826 m N and assayed up to 0.03 opt Au (1.02 gpt Au), 110,000 ppm Zn (11% Zn), 15,300 ppm Pb (1.53% Pb), and 38,000 ppm Mo (3.8% Mo).



Mineral Record Details

Classification
RankClassification            
1 Lode (Gold)
1 Vein
Characteristics
Rank Characteristic            
1 Vein

Site Visit Information

Date: Sep 19, 1989

Geologist: B Nelson

Notes: Resident Geologist personnel visited the Victoria Cape #2 and #4 occurrences in September of 1989.



References

Map - Nipigon-Schreiber, geological compilation series, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2232 Scale: 1:253,440    Date: 1973

Author: Carter M.W., McIlwaine W.H., Wisbey P.A.

Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines

Location:


Map - Jackfish-Middleton area, Thunder Bay District

Publication Number: M2107 Date: 1967

Author: Walker J.W.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


Part - Schreiber-Duck Lake area

Publication Number: ARV30-04.001 Date: 1998

Author: Hopkins P.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


MonoMap - Geology of the Jackfish-Middleton area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: R050 Date: 1997

Author: Walker J.W.R.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:


File - Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files

Publication Number: Min Dep Date:

Author:

Publisher Name:

Location: Thunder Bay RGP


Mono - Mineral Occurrences in the Nipigon-Marathon Area, Volumes 1 and 2.

Publication Number: OFR5951 Page: 407-10  Date: 1996

Author: Schnieders B.R., Smyk M.C., Speed A.A., McKay D.B.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:


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