Prospector Ontario
Summer 2020
New training program aims to help the Canadian mining industry diversify workforce
Publications mail agreement #40934510
Moneta Porcupine: A new vision and a rapidly expanding gold resource Metals Creek Resources looking for gold
Tashota Resources Inc. On the road to discovery
Tashota Resources Inc. (“TRI”) is a Prospect Generator junior exploration company led by a talented team of professionals having significant exploration, engineering, project financing, and permitting experience. Under their guidance, TRI has acquired land positions in Ontario (Hemlo and Larose) and Quebec (Opinaca) that represent significant mineral exploration potential. Investment Highlights • Well-located, sizeable properties accumulated based on geological merit
• Expected news on Hemlo out of Barrick likely to support TRI’s shear zone model, further highlighting the potential on TRI’s ground
Tashota Resources Inc.
• Larose has the potential to be a sizeable bulk tonnage prospect with gold-bearing shear zone traced for 9 km
www.trojangold.com
• Sirios’ Cheechoo discovery has reinvigorated the Opinaca Camp. Modest program on TRI’s ground warranted to de-risk and maintain optionality
• Goal to increase strategic corporate and institutional investor exposure with a view to • Focused spending: gaining critical mass at core projects to move from project generator model to be well supported in an eventual going public high growth exploration company transaction
www.tashotaresources.com Trojan Gold Inc.
82 Richmond Street E., Suite 401 Toronto, ON M5C 1P1 C: O: E:
416-315-6490 647-350-6122 elbourne007@gmail.com
*Both companies expect to be public in 2020
Published by:
DEL Communications Inc. www.delcommunications.com President and CEO: David Langstaff Managing Editor: Cindy Chan cindy@delcommunications.com Sales Manager: Dayna Oulion dayna@delcommunications.com Advertising Sales: Ross James Nick Miller Cover Photo Courtesy of: MINING INDUSTRY HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL (MiHR)
in this issue Message from the Ontario Prospectors Association executive director, Garry Clark.................................................................. 4
Message from the president of the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association, Mike Grant..................................................... 6 New training program aims to help the Canadian mining industry diversify workforce....................................................................... 8 Long live the Sault and District Prospectors Association......... 10
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Northstar Gold drilling Miller Gold Property.....................................12 Gatling reaping the rewards of exploration on Cadillac-Larder Break........................................................................... 14 Metals Creek Resources looking for gold in the shadow of headframes at the past producing Dona Lake Mine Gold Project...........................................16 Clean Air Metals: Powering the EV revolution.................................18
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Moneta Porcupine and the Golden Highway Deposit, Timmins, Ontario: A new vision and a rapidly expanding gold resource................. 21
Articles and advertisements in this publication are not solicitations to buy, hold or sell specific securities; they are for information only.
Canada Nickel rapidly advancing the Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project.........................................24
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Index to advertisers..................................................................................... 26
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Ontario Prospector summer 2020 3
Message from the Ontario Prospectors association executive director
Garry Clark
Ontario prospectors association 941 Cobalt Crescent Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5Z4 T: (807) 622-3284 TF: 1 (866) 259-3727
The new environment we live in has caused stress on
We have also been working on discussing methods that
our industry, which is an unknown with explorers moving
could elevate the flow-through expenditures for companies
forward.
that have raised funds but can’t safely or effectively com-
The Ontario Prospectors Association (OPA) having to
plete exploration. This is a critical issue. If explorers don’t
cancel its annual event in Thunder Bay was unprecedented
spend the funds raised, they may have to return it to the
and financially hard-hitting. The event in Thunder Bay has
investors who would have to redo their income tax returns.
been operating since 1996 by either the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association (NWOPA) or the OPA. Needless to say, it is a hard hit for OPA. During these strange times, the OPA has been working with the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines (ENDM) to minimize the impacts of the pandemic on explorers. We were able to work with ENDM to get a system of
OPA is also lobbying the ENDM to institute a potential junior assistance program for exploration in Ontario. The previous junior exploration assistant programs in Ontario have great track records. They have assisted numerous projects that have fed the economy over the last 50 years. The latest success in Red Lake is Great Bear Resources Ltd., which received $100,000 from the fund and now has a trea-
exclusion of time for claims that takes the pressure off ex-
sury of over $20 million and a spectacular gold project. They
plorers allowing for up to a year of relief. The application is
had a market capitalization of < $5.0 million before the as-
straightforward and free. Visit the ENDM website for de-
sistance program and recently had a capitalization of > $500
tails.
million.
The confirmation of exploration being an essential service has allowed some projects to continue.
The OPA hopes everyone is safe and healthy. We all want to start getting back to normal as soon as possible. l
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Ontario Prospector summer 2020 5
message from the president of the northwestern ontario prospectors association
Mike Grant didates when the bad news arrived. The NWOPA board of directors has not considered how and when we will hold our AGM and elections but will inform the membership when a decision is made (you may already have the information by the time you read this article). However, we do have an award to celebrate. On March 3, 2020, Rudy Wahl, vice-president of NWOPA, received the Bill Dennis Award from the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC). This award "honours an individual or team of explorationists who have accomplished one or both of the following: made a significant mineral discovery; made an important contribution to the prospecting and/or exploration industry". The specific citation for Rudy recognizes "his enduring perseverance as a prospector and for the discovery of several precious metal, diamond and Dr. Rudy Wahl accepts trophy.
A
rare earth occurrences in northwestern
s I start this, it is four days since the equinox and spring is slowly creeping
do is to invite you on June 20, the day
Ontario". This is the latest of a series of
planned for the celebration, to take a
awards given to Rudy over the past sev-
few moments to visit the Mining Day
eral years and may be almost as close to
into Thunder Bay with temperatures
website and relive last year's wonder-
his heart as the honourary doctorate he
on the plus side and a little rain. While
ful event, when more than 2,500 peo-
received from Lakehead University in
spring heralds the coming field season
ple came out to meet our community
2017. The full citation and a brief video
for many prospectors, there is not a
and enjoy the perfect summer weath-
of Rudy are available from the PDAC
great deal else to celebrate this year as
er. The photo gallery is at http://www.
at
we face pandemic anxiety, the suspen-
thunderbayminingday.com/2019-photo-
awards/2020-award-recipients/2020-
sion of operations at mines, the curtail-
gallery.html.
bill-dennis-award. Our sincerest con-
https://www.pdac.ca/about-pdac/
gratulations go to Dr. Wahl.
ing or postponement of many explora-
The Northwestern Ontario Pros-
tion programs and the cancellation of
pectors Association (NWOPA) has post-
I want to extend a personal note of
activities including the Ontario Pros-
poned its annual general meeting and
thanks to Newmont Mines and New
pectors Exploration Showcase (OPES)
elections but of greater impact is the loss
Gold for their efforts to curtail the
and Thunder Bay's Mining Day.
of our annual awards ceremony which is
spread of COVID-19 into particularly
I had expected to be sitting back
also held at the OPES. It is the highlight
vulnerable populations. In Newmont's
awaiting an article from our direc-
of the year for NWOPA: an opportunity
case, the potential to introduce the virus
tor Pam Coles touting Mining Day
to gather and celebrate the hard work
into remote First Nation communities
but, as the chair of the organizing
and successes of the exploration com-
was great, given the relatively high rates
committee, Pam is run off her feet as
munity. The awards committee has re-
of employment of First Nations’ mem-
her customers re-schedule their ex-
viewed the submissions and was in the
bers at Musselwhite and Éléonore. New
ploration programs. The best we can
process of informing the successful can-
Gold, which also has a high rate of First
6 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
Nation members working onsite, announced the closure of its operation in Richardson Township for two weeks in recognition of this, and the fact that many of their staff often cross the border into the U.S.A., which could bring an additional set of complications. The companies' decisions are most commendable. On the "bureaucracy is not always
are in support of a schedule of allowable expenditures for personal equipment; that is, an equivalent to the current regulation that provides a fixed dollar-value for sweat equity. We are making this case to the Ministry. Finally, when pulling up the information on Rudy's award from the PDAC website, I found reminders of past, happy events in the lives of some of our
members. It was a delight to replay video celebrations of Peter Moses, winner of the Skookum Jim Award in 2017, and of the Bjorkman family, recipients of a Special Achievement Award in 2016. It was a bit of cheer on an otherwise cheerless day. On behalf of the directors of NWOPA, have a productive summer of exploration and stay safe, find a mine. l
the prospector's friend” front, some of our members are facing another difficulty in filing assessment work to hold their mining claims in Ontario. The province is demanding receipts for all expenses claimed for work including for personal equipment. A good idea in many circumstances, this has proven to be problematic when a “personal” rather than a “rental” tool — including ATVs, water pumps, hoses or, in one case, a homemade backhoe — is used. I am hopeful that this is an unexpected consequence of changes to the Mining Act regulations, a consequence that the province's Mines and Minerals Division of the Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines (MENDM) will understand needs to be rectified. The province wants to see land worked and, where results are poor, relinquished to new hands and eyes (this desire to limit "sterilization" of land is the reason that issuing patents was ended in favour of leases, more than 30 years ago). Requiring rentals to claim an assessment expense would seem to fly in the face of this broader policy by forcing claim holders to run up greater expenditures than would otherwise be the case and, thus, hold their claims longer. In one example provided to MENDM, the claim for rental equipment was at least three times as high as for equivalent personal tools. Not only does this drive up the value of assessment-work claims, it is an unnecessary impedi-
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ment to prospectors who are working with extremely limited budgets. We Ontario Prospector summer 2020 7
New training program aims to help the Canadian mining industry diversify workforce By Alex Parsons 8 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
T
he Canadian mining industry has provided essential minerals and metals throughout the country’s history, but there is still one resource it has yet to tap to its full potential: diversity. The industry has historically had challenges attracting diverse workers and, to this day, still has room for improvement. According to the Mining Industry Human Resource Council’s (MiHR) 2020 Canadian Mining Labour Market 10-Year Outlook, women account for only 15 per cent of the workforce, youth (workers aged 15-24) at eight per cent, immigrants at 13 per cent and visible minorities at nine per cent. Mining employers will benefit from tapping into diverse talent pools to close the labour gap. In addition, an inclusive and diverse workforce ensures a pipeline of important skills and leadership talent, has been found to improve health, safety and wellness, increases innovation and productivity and enhances corporate reputation.
Intercultural Awareness Training for the Canadian Mining Industry is one of MiHR’s latest efforts to help employers attract, hire and retain an inclusive and diverse workforce. Developed in partnership with Professions North/Nord (PNN), this online training provides human resource professionals with awareness of intercultural competencies critical to our changing industry and explores tools and resources to evaluate and enhance hiring policies and practices to create an inclusive workplace. Launched April 2020, it is being offered free of charge until March 31, 2021. Use of intercultural awareness training by human resource professionals will help to more effectively diversify mining company talent pools. Modern, inclusive hiring policies and procedures are key to attracting a diverse workforce, but understanding, respecting and embracing cultural differences is key to their retention.
MiHR’s Intercultural Awareness Training includes five modules that take about 15 minutes to finish each. These include: • Module 1: The Importance of Intercultural Awareness in the Workplace • Module 2: Understanding and Building Cultural Competencies • Module 3: Culturally-Competent Attraction, Recruitment and Onboarding Practices
opment are the focus of one of MiHR’s
• Module 4: Culturally-Competent Engagement and Retention Practices • Module 5: Building a Culturally-Competent Workplace
strategic objectives. As such, MiHR has a long history of providing support to the industry’s diversity challenges through programs such as Gender Eq-
Participants have the flexibility to go
uity in Mining Works and the Mining
through each module at their own pace
Professional Immigrant Network. The
and have the option to access a suite of
launch of the intercultural awareness
accompanying
and
training comes after rigorous program
worksheets to help them fully process and
written
materials
development to ensure it meets the
master its content. Upon completion, each
quality of MiHR’s other initiatives and
participant will receive a digital badge for
has a positive impact on inclusion and
their effort.
diversity in the Canadian mining in-
Inclusion, diversity and career devel-
The training is designed to make insights easy to share among colleagues, to deepen the roots of cultural awareness. It aims to increase awareness and the value of inclusive workplaces and encourage professional integration of a more diverse workforce within the Canadian mining sector to help optimize mining’s human resource supply. For more information about MiHR’s Intercultural Awareness Training, visit mihr.ca, call (613) 270-9696 or email mpin@mihr.ca. l
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Ontario Prospector summer 2020 9
Long live the Sault and District Prospectors Association By Delio Tortosa
T
Wawa Gold field trip, 2016. Overlooking Wawa Lake.
he Sault and District Prospectors Association (SDPA) has been around for over 50 years. It’s
voice to express concerns of mineral ex-
The SDPA also hosted the Northeast
plorers and lobby the government on be-
Ontario Mines and Minerals Symposium
half of the membership. Vivienne Burns
in 2007, 2010 and 2013, which brought
hard for me to recall the first time I at-
became the first president elected by the
prospectors and mineral explorers from
tended an SDPA meeting; it likely was
SDPA, who along with the vice-presi-
Northern Ontario to Sault Ste. Marie.
in the mid-1980s while working on con-
dent represented two directors on the
Sault Ste. Marie is an important gate-
tract for the Ontario Geological Survey
OPA board of directors. The OPA and
way to Northern Ontario, specifically to
based out of the Sault Ste. Marie resident
each local association represented a fed-
the Wawa, Chapleau, White River and
geologist’s office.
erated system of governance.
Marathon areas which provide access to
Prior to the year 2000, the Sault and
Throughout the last two decades the
high mineral potential areas (gold, iron
District Prospectors Association was
SDPA has been actively involved repre-
ore, platinum group elements). Our Dis-
loosely tied to the Prospectors and De-
senting local prospectors, geologists and
trict also extends to the east covering the
velopers Association of Canada (PDAC),
mineral exploration companies. This
Elliot Lake area, which was the hub for
but a significant change took place in the
has been done in part through the OPA
uranium exploration and mining since
early 2000s when the Ontario Prospec-
board of directors and various sub-com-
the 1950s.
tors Association (OPA) was formed and
mittees, Ontario government commit-
As part of the benefits that the SDPA
a vote in favour of joining the new OPA
tees, through close liaison with the Sault
provides its members, we regularly have
was approved by the SDPA membership.
Ste. Marie District Geology Office, Local
geological and mineral deposit field trips
The SDPA then became one of the
Citizens Committee (LCC), and by par-
that are well-attended. These field trips
six Ontario prospectors associations that
ticipating in various OPA symposia in
have included visits to the Eagle River
supported the establishment of a single
Northern Ontario.
Mine (Wesdome Gold Mines), the Island
10 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
Elliot Lake field trip, 2005.
Probe Mines Borden Lake field trip, 2014. Mike Tremblay.
Gold Mine (Alamos Gold), the Magino
exercises in the use of the online stak-
members of the SDPA. He recently re-
Mine (Argonaut Gold) and the Wil-
ing and the claim management system
tired from Algoma Steel and is looking
liams (Hemlo) Mine (Barrick-Rand Gold
(MLAS).
forward to getting out into the field on
Mines). Other interesting geological field
Many of our long-time members come from a variety of backgrounds:
a more regular basis. Richard Bain is a long-time member
trips have included a geological tran-
Vivienne Burns is a retired teach-
of the SDPA and a director. He also rep-
sect across the Huronian SuperGroup
er that took an interest in prospecting.
resents the SDPA on the Local Citizens
and the Mamainse geological transect
She not only became the first president
Committee (LCC). He is keenly interest-
across the Mid-Continental Rift (MCR).
of the SDPA in 2000 under the new
ed in attending field trips and can claim
The geology across our district is quite
OPA organization, but also went on to
to have travelled more bush roads than
varied ranging from Archean Gran-
become the president of the OPA.
anyone in the area.
ite-Greenstone Belts, early to mid-Pro-
Delio Tortosa is a geologist that has
terozoic rocks, Paleozoic rock cover
been employed in mineral exploration
and a variety of Quaternary (Glacial)
both in the private and public sector
sediments.
and was elected president of the SDPA
The SDPA has had a variety of
in 2007.
speakers attend our meetings to give
Jim Ralph is vice-president of the
presentations on their mineral explo-
SDPA and a long-time member that got
ration properties, mineral exploration
into prospecting through his work as
service providers (i.e. geophysics) and
a commercial bush pilot transporting
presentations by our own members on
people and supplies to remote explora-
mineral properties and other activities.
tion camps.
Suzanne Butorac is a geologist and long-time member of the SDPA, and our newly elected director. She has been employed by government (OGS) and is currently employed by Alamos Gold at the Island Gold Mine. Although we are a small association compared to Timmins, Thunder Bay and Sudbury, we still pack a pretty good punch when it comes to lobbying the government for realistic changes to
Over the years, we have had a num-
Cliff Hicks is our treasurer and
ber of prospecting courses, which were
hails from a mining and exploration
always well-attended. In more recent
background and has been a prospector
continued existence of the SDPA is the
years, with changes to claim acquisi-
for many years.
great camaraderie between the core
policies and regulations. The key to the
tion using online applications, we had
George Lucuik is a long-time mem-
members, even where there are differ-
three workshops in order to under-
ber and director of the SDPA and has
ing points of view (as one might expect
stand the use of claim maps followed
been prospecting throughout the Dis-
from prospectors and geologists).
by two workshops on using the new
trict for many years.
We hope to still be around 10 years
Mining Lands Administration System
Bob MacGregor is a long-time mem-
from now, but there is a bit too much
(MLAS). This has allowed our members
ber and a geologist/mining engineer
gray hair showing and we need more
to better understand the changes to
who continues to be quite active with
young people to take greater interest in
the new Mining Act, policies and reg-
a number of properties across Ontario.
the exploration and discovery of much
ulations, but also provided hands-on
John Conrad is one of our newer
needed minerals in the future. l Ontario Prospector summer 2020 11
Northstar Gold drilling Miller Gold Property
N
orthstar Gold Corp. (NSG:CSE) listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange by way of a $3 million IPO on Jan. 2, 2020. The Company’s primary focus is advancing its 100-per cent owned flagship Miller Gold Property, situated 18 kilometres southeast of Kirkland Lake, Ont. and Kirkland Lake Gold’s high-grade Macassa SMC gold mine. Within one month after listing, Northstar commenced a 3,000-metre diamond drill program at Miller, only to have to suspend operations in early April (after completing 13 holes in 2,211 metres) due to COVID-19 concerns and complications. “While we were seeing some excellent results and made two new gold discoveries, suspending drilling until safer conditions prevail was the responsible thing to do,” states Northstar CEO and director Brian P. Fowler, P.Geo. “Employee and contractor health and safety must always come first.” With the recent COVID-19 crisis abatement in Northeast Ontario, Northstar resumed exploration at Miller in midJune. The Company initiated a $350,000 integrated geophysics program, including 3D IP, gravity and magnetics, and fired up the drill once again with the intention of completing an additional 2,000 metres of drilling. Surface stripping has proven to be highly effective in defining new mineralized zones at Miller, owing to thin overburden and the Company will commence a fully permitted surface-stripping program in mid-July.
Northstar has engaged GoldSpot Discoveries Corp., a specialized artificial intelligence technology company with expertise, proprietary algorithms and software to assist in processing Northstar’s Miller exploration data. Results will be integrated with the Company’s 3D geological model to provide targeting basis for a $1.2 million, 4,000-metre Phase II exploration drill program, scheduled to commence in late August. Company shareholders are excited about the Company’s prospects at Miller. The Property overlays the historic Miller Independence Mine and hosts similar age, nature and style of coarse gold-telluride mineralization as historic Kirkland Lake gold mines (>25 million ounces gold from seven mines past production). Miller has the potential for significant near-surface and deeper high-grade gold resources in multiple structurally controlled zones (Vein No. 1, Vein No. 2, Allied, Planet and Meilleur zones) amenable to high-grade underground mining. The Property also has demonstrable potential for a large, intrusive-hosted bulk-tonnage gold discovery, similar in style to Eldorado’s Gold’s Lamaque mine in Quebec. Phase I drilling at Miller initially focused on confirming and expanding portions of a historic, near-surface Miller-Independence historic estimate of 270,000 ounces of gold averaging 11.5 g/t Au. Northstar recently reported
that drill hole MG20-34 intersected 18.01 g/t Au over 3.9 metres, including 100 g/t Au over 0.6 metres. Drill hole MG2037 intersected what appears to be a broad vertical gold feeder structure within the Allied Syenite (the Allied Zone) that returned 2.31 g/t Au over 10.5 metres, including 14.5 g/t Au over 1.0 metre. The resumed drill program will follow up these discoveries and test the nearby Planet Syenite Exploration Target, consisting of approximately 100,000 to 500,000 additional ounces of gold in 3.0 to 5.0 million tonnes of mineralized material averaging between 1.0 to 3.0 g/t Au. According to Fowler, the Miller Gold Project “has the essential elements and footprint of a Kirkland-sized gold system that, to date, has only been partially explored by shallow underground workings and vertical drill holes. Our efforts to make new discoveries, validate and expand historic results at Miller are being realized.” Further information on Northstar can be obtained on the Company’s website at www.northstargoldcorp.com. l
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Tel: (888) 825-3702 Fax: (819) 825-2863 bureau@corriveaujl.com Ontario Prospector summer 2020 13
Gatling reaping the rewards of exploration on Cadillac-Larder Break Award-winning explorers enjoying repeated success at Larder gold project in Northern Ontario
A
s any experienced investor will tell you, it’s hard to find a great gold exploration project these days and almost impossible to find one in a safe, favoured ju-
mediate success with a string of high-grade hits that quick-
risdiction. Gatling Exploration’s 3,370-hectare project sits
hits continued, Gatling’s team expanded the program from
within the McVittie and McGarry Townships of Northern
10,000 metres to 20,000 metres and then again to 35,000
Ontario, just seven kilometres west of the Kerr-Addison gold
metres.
Drilling commenced in January 2019 and saw almost imly expanded the footprint of the Bear deposit. As the drill
mine. With three high-grade gold deposits over a 4.5-kilo-
By September, the footprint of all three deposits had in-
metre trend, an historical resource just shy of one million
creased and two had been connected for a 2.5 kilometres un-
ounces Au, and prior exploration data from over $8 million of
broken mineralized strike length.
work in the last decade, Larder seems to have it all.
Proving that Larder hosts a single, very large mineralized
“We picked up the Larder assets when we were running
system is not the only major win for the company. The dis-
Bonterra. Investors wanted us to stay laser focused on the
trict is known for massive but deep deposits and previous
Gladiator deposit so we eventually spun out Larder into Gat-
operators believed that part of Larder’s mineralization was
ling, along with enough money for an aggressive drill pro-
only to be found at depth. However, Gatling has hit consid-
gram,” explains founder and CEO Nav Dhaliwal, who brought
erable grades at and near surface, which hints at the possi-
a carefully picked team with him to Gatling.”
bilities for future open-pit production.
“What really interested us was that these three deposits
Not content with hitting so many milestones in such as
had been worked at various times by some great operators
short space of time, Gatling scooped up more land. Adjacent
but always individually. Our VP exploration, Nathan Tribble,
to the north, the Kir Vit claims sit six kilometres from the
used to be Sprott’s principle geologist. He worked at Larder
main trend at Larder. Teck Resources had previously spent
back in 2013 and had always felt the deposits were as part
over $2 million on fieldwork, which essentially gave Gatling
of a single system of great size. No one else had managed to
a very attractive, drill-ready prospect.
consolidate the land packages before now and so his theory was untested until Gatling went to work.” 14 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
At the beginning of March 2020, Gatling announced that it had hit gold at Kir Vit with 13 out of 16 holes over a
500-metre strike length. The holes include the discovery of two new gold trends. “We’re absolutely thrilled,” Dhaliwal admits. “On its own, the potential of our 4.5-kilometre strike on the Break is enough to keep any explorer busy, but now we have a secondary story on the very same property.” Going forward, Gatling expects to keep most of its attention focused on the Break but will still look to advance Kir Vit. “We have a lot of drilling to do,” Dhaliwal adds. “In the near-term, we hope to connect our third deposit to create that 4.5-kilometre unbroken trend, but we’ll also be pushing further expansion of each deposit. Kir Vit will also see some more drill holes and we have some other, as yet untested, areas on the property that the team is very keen to look at.” Gatling Exploration trades on the TSX-V under the symbol GTR and on the OTC under GATGF. l
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Ontario Prospector summer 2020 15
Metals Creek Resources looking for gold in the shadow of headframes at the past producing Dona Lake Mine Gold Project
O
n June 12, 2019 Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSX-V: MEK) announced it has signed an option agreement with Newmont Corporation in which MEK can earn a 100-per cent interest in the Dona Lake Gold Property located in Pickle Lake mining district, nine kilometres southeast of the town of Pickle Lake, Northwestern Ontario. Dona Lake consists of 32 patented and leased mining claims totaling approximately 430.1 hectares and covers the past producing Dona Lake Mine. The Dona Lake Mine, an underground operation from 1989 to 1994, produced 246,500
Schematic vertical long section of the Dona Lake Mine illustrating mined out portion and highlights of diamond drill results within Main Zone. 16 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
ounces of gold at a grade of 7.44 grams per tonne (g/t) (Source: 2015 Institute of Lake Superior Geology Fieldtrip Guidebook). In 1994, when the mine closed, the average gold price was approximately $383.23 (US) per ounce (Source: http://onlygold.com/Info/Historical-Gold-Prices.asp). The Pickle Lake Greenstone Belt is host to several historic mines, including the Dona Lake mine, the Central Patricia mine and the Pickle Crow mine. Dona Lake is accessible by an all-weather road southeast from the Town of Pickle Lake. Gold mineralization at Dona Lake is hosted within three prominent banded iron formations (BIF) with the middle BIF hosting the Dona Lake Mine (Main Zone). The Main Zone remains open at depth with limited drilling along strike. Mining stopped at the 455-metre level with historic drill results below the 455-metre level that selectively include 13.62 (g/t) gold (Au) over 13.00 metres, 8.74 g/t Au over 3.9 metres and 8.57 g/t Au over 2.8 metres, indicating the potential continuation of high-grade mineralization below the bottom level. Company personnel have been compiling data from the past producing Dona Lake Mine to try and determine what mineralization remains outside the area of selective historic mining. During compilation, it was determined that the deepest hole found to date was drilled approximately 100 metres below the mine workings of the Main Zone (455 metres). This hole (455-2) returned a down hole intercept of 4.36 g/t gold over 21.08 metres indicating the continuation of mineralization at depth below 455 level (Source: Project update reports and assessment reports). A second zone (B Zone), footwall to the Main Zone, was partially drilled off but only saw limited development and test mining and is open at depth with limited drilling along strike. B Zone is defined as a steeply plunging zone with selective historic intersections including 14.17 g/t Au over 15.31 metres, 9.9 g/t Au over 10.6 metres and 12.44 g/t Au over 4.6 metres. The Corporation cautions that all drill data in this article is historical in nature and has not been verified or validated. To date, the company has flown an airborne time-domain electromagnetic (EM) and magnetics (Mag) survey. From this survey, two additional discreet magnetic trends have been delineated and may be indicative of oxide BIFs trending roughly parallel to iron formations that host the gold mineralization at the Dona Lake mine. These discreet anoma-
lies are located in an underexplored area of the Property and represent prospective targets requiring further exploration. Currently, there are four known gold bearing oxide iron formations that host gold mineralization on the Dona Lake Gold Project. It is interpreted that the more pyrrhotite rich sections of the BIFs within the Dona Lake mine tend to exhibit a strong spatial relationship to increased gold mineralization. This could be a result of pyrrhotite replacing magnetite, decreasing the magnetite content and magnetic signature. With pyrrhotite being highly conductive, modelling of the recently completed airborne will prioritize targets exhibiting strong conductivity and weaker magnetic signatures. Metals Creek is permitted for drilling which will commence as soon as practical.l
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www.dpdiamondblades.com : dave@dpdiamondblades.com : (807) 627-2498 Ontario Prospector summer 2020 17
Clean Air Metals: Powering the EV revolution The climate change imperative is driving worldwide demand for a carbon-free transportation sector
N
orth American infrastructure is currently not built to accommodate this demand.
Cu magma conduit system containing
exhaust-based pollution control de-
the catalytic conversion strategic min-
vices in gas and diesel-powered vehi-
erals platinum and palladium in a 1:1 ra-
cles, are designed to reduce toxicity of
An historic step change and build out
tio. The system also contains nickel, the
combustion emissions. Roughly 85 per
of electrical generation, transmission
battery metal, and copper, the lifeline of
cent of palladium consumption can be
and storage infrastructure is required
the EV. Clean air metals are the com-
attributed to the automotive industry
to facilitate the electric vehicle (EV)
modities powering the EV revolution.
which uses it in the production of these
revolution. This will require increased
The global shift to lower automobile
sustainable production of certain stra-
emissions and tightening environmen-
Steve Stares and his team at Benton
tegic minerals and commodities going
tal standards is being led by the United
Resources Inc. (BEX: TSXV) put the deal
forward to meet demand.
States, China and the EU. The result-
together with the intent to capitalize on
Why Clean Air Metals? The compa-
ing demand for palladium and other
the rising demand in platinum and pal-
ny is engaged in advanced exploration
PGEs such as rhodium has increased
ladium metals. With the help of Brett
of a high-grade Norilsk-style PGE-Ni-
dramatically. Catalytic converters, the
Whalen and a group of investors at the
18 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
catalytic converters.
cashed-up shell Regency Gold Corp., Jim Gallagher and Abraham Drost joined the new venture as the incoming board and management team and suggested the name Clean Air Metals Inc. as the successor to Regency Gold. Fresh off his recent success as CEO of North American Palladium (PDL:TSX), which sold in December 2019 to Impala Platinum Holdings Limited of South Africa for C$1.0 billion in cash, Jim felt there was significant opportunity remaining in the platinum and palladium market and that demand for both metals would continue. The opportunity to acquire and further explore the highgrade Thunder Bay North and Escape Lake projects in the Thunder Bay North area was compelling. Jim took the role of executive chairman of the new venture and Clean Air Metals was off to a great start. In conjunction with the acquisi-
tion of Thunder Bay North and Escape Lake, the company also closed a concurrent $15 million sub-receipt financing in February 2020, which included a $2 million investment by legendary mining investor Eric Sprott. Currently, the company is completing its reverse takeover of Regency Gold and hopes to be
listed and trading on the TSX Venture Exchange as AIR:TSXV in April 2020. The now consolidated Thunder Bay North and Escape Lake project represents a significant enterprise value for the company. Historically, close to C$100 million has been spent to acquire the Thunder Bay North and Escape
Ontario Prospector summer 2020 19
Lake projects. However, the compa-
over 780 holes having been drilled
in the past including massive sul-
ny was able to acquire both assets
on the project to date. The property
phide intercepts grading 2.6 metres
for C$15 million in cash with half on
hosts a Historical Indicated Mineral
at 97.98 gpt Pd+Pt+Au and 14.9 per
closing for both assets and the bal-
Resource of 9.8 million tonnes grading
cent Cu+Ni.
ance to be paid to Vendors Panoramic
2.3 grams per tonne (g/t) PtEq, which
Magma conduit systems are the
Resources of Australia and Rio Tinto
was completed in 2012. An exciting
highest-grade sources of the clean
under option with Benton in equal
feature of the project is the high-grade
air metals nickel, copper and PGEs
installments over three years.
nature of the deposit and the poten-
worldwide. These include the No-
The Thunder Bay North project
tial for massive sulphides. Significant
rilsk and Talnakh deposits in Russia
has seen significant exploration, with
intersections have been encountered
and the Eagle deposit in Michigan. Canada’s own Voisey’s Bay deposit in Newfoundland and Labrador is a magma conduit system with extremely high-grade nickel, copper and cobalt. “We are fortunate to have a number of employees and consultants who cut their professional teeth at Voisey’s Bay, including Dawn Evans-Lamswood, Clean Air’s VP of exploration who was with the project in the early days of Archean Resources, at the sale to Diamond Fields
Providing Quality Analyses, Excellent Turnaround Time and Customer Service for the Exploration and Mining Industry.
and ultimately to Inco, now Vale. Rio Tinto made a significant discovery at Escape Lake in 2011/12 when they encountered multiple high-grade intercepts up to 33.4m at 7.28 gpt Pt+Pd+Au and 2.26 per cent Cu+Ni in the Escape Lake intrusion. This discovery will be the focus of the company’s initial Phase One drill campaign of 10,000 metres,” says Drost. Of the pending drill program, Drost says, “This multi-phase drill campaign should allow Clean Air Metals to better define the Escape Lake discovery and mineralized magma conduit to the northwest, towards completion of an NI43-101 compliant resource, which we are targeting to complete in the next 12 to 18 months.” Upon resumption of trading, the company will have 125.08 million shares outstanding and will trade on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX.V) under the symbol “AIR”. A current presentation may be viewed at www.cleanairmetals.ca. l
20 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
Moneta Porcupine and the Golden Highway deposit, Timmins, Ontario:
A new vision and a rapidly expanding gold resource By Gary O’Connor, BSc, FAusIMM, CEO and Chief Geologist
M
oneta Porcupine is rapidly advancing their South West deposit, the major focus of the Golden Highway Project near Timmins, Ont.
The project is located on the Destor Porcupine Fault Zone (“DPFZ”), the most prolific Archean gold-bearing structure in the world that has historically produced over 80 million ounces of gold. In 2017, Gary O’Connor was asked to evaluate the potential of Moneta’s 100-per cent owned Golden Highway Project. O’Connor, formerly vice-president of Dundee Resources, had previously evaluated the economic and investment potential of hundreds of projects including technical due diligence on resource projects across all continents covering gold, diamonds, base metals, energy metals, bulk commodities and uranium. After reviewing and verifying Barrick Gold’s 1996 and 1997 resource models and all of the core samples which are catalogued and well-stored at their Timmins facility, Moneta was able to confirm that an economic deposit was quite likely and that underground mining could be more profitable in comparison to previous open pit mining strategies. Moneta’s land position is one of the largest in the Timmins Camp after the three main gold producers, Newmont-Goldcorp, Kirkland Lake Gold and Pan American Silver, and includes the highly prospective Golden Ontario Prospector summer 2020 21
Highway Project, which covers 12 kilometres of and contains four branches of the DPFZ. The Golden Highway Project hosts a gold NI 43-101 Resource Estimate (November 2019) of 556,500 ounces indicated (3.8Mt at 4.53 g/t Au) plus 1,174,000 ounces inferred (8.5 Mt at 4.31 g/t Au). The property covers over 200 square kilometres and is adequate in size to support milling infrastructure. In addition, there are currently six existing mills within trucking distance that have excess capacity for toll milling. Indicated resources increased 58 per cent in 2019 and inferred resources increased by 40 per cent during the same period. Moneta’s 2020 resource expansion and exploration drill program at 18,000 metres is double the size of the drilling conducted in 2019. The Timmins Camp has first-rate infrastructure with excellent off-highway access via an extensive network of logging and drilling roads. Communications and power are available along Highway 101 and cellphone coverage extends to the property. A skilled labour force for mining and exploration is available in Matheson, Kirkland Lake and Timmins. Timmins and Kirkland Lake are also major supply and service centres for the mining industry.
22 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
Moneta’s updated mineral resource was independently prepared by Micon International Limited in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”), with an effective date of Nov. 15, 2019 and using a database current as of Oct. 14, 2019. The South West deposit has shown a significant improvement in size over the January 2019 resource estimate and remains open in all directions. Moneta has identified several new targets displaying the same style and tenor of gold mineralization within the Golden Highway Project, which were not included in this mineral resource update and are the focus of its current drill program. Moneta is also drilling the extensions of adjacent gold deposits within the Golden Highway Project.
SUMMARY Moneta is one of only three junior mining companies that are exploring in the Timmins camp surrounded by major mining firms. Moneta is conducting an active drill program, which this year is twice the size of last year’s program. Moneta is currently conducting a preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”) on the South West deposit due to be completed in the third quarter of 2020. Due to the excellent infrastructure and short timeline to potential production, this is definitely one junior to keep your eye on. l
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E-mail: gdd@gdd.ca Ontario Prospector summer 2020 23
Canada Nickel rapidly advancing the Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project
C
anada Nickel Company has wasted no time since launching as a publicly traded company in
February. In quick succession, the com-
five months of initial drilling on less
and indicated resource of approximate-
than 20 per cent of the entire struc-
ly 263 million tonnes at 0.31 per cent
ture, which remains open in multiple
Ni, 0.013 per cent Co and 0.038 g/t Pd
directions.
and Pt within an overall measured and
pany announced a maiden resource
“Crawford has all of the hallmark
indicated resource of approximately
estimate for its 100-per cent owned
signs of being a new, world-class nick-
600 million tonnes at 0.25 per cent Ni
Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Project, initial
el sulphide project. Our work program
and 0.013 per cent Co. There is an ad-
mineralogy results and, most recently,
over the next two years is vital to estab-
ditional higher-grade inferred resource
the discovery of a new platinum group
lishing Canada Nickel as a significant
of approximately 66 million tonnes at
metals (PGM) zone.
player in the global nickel market,” says
0.29 per cent Ni and 0.013 per cent Co
The maiden mineral resource esti-
Mark Selby, chairman and chief execu-
within an overall inferred resource of
mate immediately establishes Craw-
tive officer of Canada Nickel Company.
approximately 310 million tonnes at
ford as one of the twelve largest nickel
Crawford’s maiden resource in-
0.23 per cent Ni and 0.013 per cent Co.
sulfide resources globally, with only
cludes a higher-grade core of measured
Selby says there are many more
24 Ontario Prospector summer 2020
drill targets that offer significant upside potential and an exciting proposition that Crawford could conceptually support a multi-decade, multi-expansion type operation. Initial mineralogical assessment results of sample material show that approximately 89 per cent of the nickel in the higher-grade core of Crawford’s resource is contained in nickel sulphide and nickel-iron alloy minerals. Around 59 per cent of the nickel in the lower-grade zones is contained in nickel sulphide and nickel-iron alloy minerals. Both the higher- and lower-grade areas also contain significant quantities of magnetite. Mineralogy testing is ongoing on more than 600 samples and regional exploration on the broader Crawford property is also continuing, including follow-up on higher-grade PGM occurrences encountered in the northern contact of the Main Zone. In April, the company announced it had discovered a separate PGM Zone with grades up to 1.7 gram per tonne of palladium and platinum over 7.5 metres from near surface to a depth of 500-plus metres
Crawford project will align with nickel-cobalt market fundamentals. “Last year was a stellar year for nickel, with prices up almost 30 per cent year on year by the end of December. We are focused on maintaining our momen-
tum. With solid global supply and demand fundamentals and very few nickel sulphide projects in existence, it will be up and coming potentially large scale players like Canada Nickel that will be ready for development.” l
across a strike length of 600 metres that remains open to the west and at depth. “With high palladium prices and few new palladium discoveries globally, the discovery of this new multi-gram palla-
Tel: 705-560-2739 24 Hour Service
dium-platinum zone sitting parallel to Crawford’s existing nickel-cobalt-palladium resource further underscores Crawford’s significant development potential,” says Selby. “We have an active 2020 work program that will deliver steady news flow as we accomplish project milestones over the coming months. Our objective is to fast track Crawford’s development
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