The property is located between elevations of 1700 and 2130 metres astride Pontiac Creek, a northerly flowing tributary of Woodbury Creek, some 35 kilometres northeast of Nelson. The claims, which include the Scranton, Pontiac (082FNW111) and Sunset (082FNW113), lie within Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park, 1 to 2 kilometres from the eastern boundary.
A series of quartz veins striking northeastward are exposed at intervals for a distance of about 2135 metres. Most of the early exploration work on this vein system was done at its extremities and comprised the Pontiac workings at the northeasterly end and the Sunset workings at the southwesterly end. Following the consolidation of the property in 1930 development work was carried out at lower elevations in the mid section of the property on the Scranton claim on the east side of Pontiac creek (known as the Lower Pontiac workings), and in the "Sunset" workings on the Grandview Fr. claim on the west side of the creek.
The first reported activity and first production from the Pontiac claim was recorded in 1898.
The first reported activity at the southwesterly end of the vein system was in 1899 when Woodbury Mines, Limited, carried out development work on the Sunset Group.
The Scranton claim (Lot 7452), owned in 1901 by Austin Corbin and associates, was Crown-granted to Messrs. T. Doyle, John Henry and associates, of Victoria, in 1906. Some development work was reported in 1904 and 1906 under the management of C.F. Caldwell. Activites at the various workings ceased in about 1908 and some of the claims were subsequently acquired by C.F. Caldwell.
In 1930 Hon. J.D. Chaplin, C.F. Caldwell, T. Doyle and J. Henry, owners of the various claim groups, gave an option to purchase the Scranton Consolidated Mining Company which was incorporated in Portland, Oregon to consolidate and develop the property. Investigation of the Scranton claim began but little was accomplished until 1939-40 when the main workings on the Scranton claim (lower Pontiac workings) were driven. These comprised two adits, less than 9 metres apart vertically, the upper containing about 550 metres of drifts and crosscuts, the lower being a 122-metre long drift. The levels were connected by two raises and a sublevel was driven from a winze. Little further worthwhile work was done until 1949 when a new adit was begun on the Scranton claim. During subsequent years the adit was driven 91 metres northeasterly with a raise to the adit above, and a 23-metre winze and 44 metres sublevel below.
A new company, Scranton Mines Limited, was incorporated in British Columbia in August 1951 to acquire the 14 claim property; the company head office remained in Portland, Oregon. On the west side of Pontiac creek, on the Grandview Fr. claim, the "Sunset" drift adit, which was begun in 1950, was driven southwesterly at about the 1737-metre elevation. By the end of 1952 the workings comprised about 268 metres of drifts and crosscuts and a 23-metre winze. In 1953 diamond drilling in 11 holes totalling 548.6 metres was done to determine the vein extension on the Sunrise claim. Little further activity took place until 1960-61 when an additional 30 metres of drifting and crosscutting and 43.5 metres of underground diamond drilling was carried out in the Scranton workings. A new adit about 30 metres long was driven 15 metres below the old Pontiac workings.
Blue Star Mines Limited optioned the property in 1964 and carried out stripping and 209.3 metres of diamond drilling on the Scranton claim and extended the lower Pontiac adit an additional 79 metres.
No further activity was reported until 1967 when exploration was begun in a new adit at the 1800-metre elevation on the west side of Pontiac creek at the southeast edge of the Grandview claim. The adit was driven as a crosscut for 30.4 metres, intersecting a strong quartz vein which was drifted on. Silver Star Mines Ltd. acquired the property from Blue Star Mines and Scranton Mines through a stock transaction. A new adit was begun in 1968 at the 1737-metre elevation to explore the downward extension of mineralization in the 1800-metre level; drifting, raising and stoping was carried out on both levels. Some ore was shipped to the Blue Star mill at Ainsworth. Stoping of ore proved uneconomical and the operation was shut down in 1970.
Adit, trench, and drill indicated reserves on the 1737 and 1800-metre levels ("West Sunset") workings (082FNW113) were estimated in November 1969 by W.M. Sharp at 42,680 tons averaging 8.06 grams per tonne gold and 240 grams per tonne silver, 9.1 per cent lead, 7.6 per cent zinc, plus cadmium values. (Northern Miner, March 12, 1970). Further production was reported during 1975-79.
David Minerals Ltd. acquired the property from Silver Star Mines, and the Ainsworth mill from Blue Star Mines, in 1977. Indicated reserves (likely West sunrise, 082FNW113) were reported at 17,935 tonnes averaging 9.26 grams per tonne gold and 240 grams per tonne silver, 8.2 per cent lead, and 8.0 per cent zinc (Northern Miner, January 12, 1978, page 24).
The Scranton mine occupies the middle section of a 2.1-kilometre southwest trending vein system. The Scranton contains at least 2 veins. Attitudes range from northeast to east striking, and dips from 25 southeast at the southwest end of the vein, steepening to 60 degrees southeast towards the northeast.
Vein mineralization is predominantly pyrite, up to 35 per cent, with lesser galena and sphalerite, plus or minus chalcopyrite, in a fractured quartz gangue.
Country rock is hornblende potassium feldspar granite and potassium feldspar granite. Biotite-grade, thin-bedded siltstone, argillite and limestone outcrop on surface and quartzite was intersected underground.
Production from 1948 to 1979 totalled 25,943 tonnes yielding 3,497,850 grams silver, 117,152 grams gold, 13,875 kilograms cadmium, 1,313 kilograms copper, 1,279,129 kilograms lead, 1,210,373 kilograms zinc. Production includes Sunset (082FNW113).
