The North Ridge occurrence area is located about 37 kilometres southeast of the town of Fernie, near the headwaters of Howell Creek.

The North Ridge area just west of the headwaters of the east-southeast flowing Twentynine Mile and Howell creeks is underlain by sedimentary rocks of the Triassic Spray River Group, dolomites of the Pennsylvanian and Permian Rocky Mountain Group and dolomite of the Mississippian Rundle Group. Going eastward, the Rundle rocks are underlain on their eastern boundary by sedimentary rocks of the Mississippian Banff and Exshaw formations; limestones of the Upper Devonian Palliser Formation; sediments of the Devonian Fairholme Group; coarse clastic sedimentary rocks of the Mid to Upper Cambrian Flathead and Elko formations; and undivided sedimentary rocks of the Mesoproterozoic Purcell Supergroup. These sequences are thrust over a package of mudstone, siltstone, shale, and fine clastic sedimentary rocks of the Upper Cretaceous Alberta Group. A Cretaceous syenitic to monzonitic stock intrudes the Purcell rocks, with the thrust fault forming its northeastern boundary.

A string of grey silicified, pyritic syenites outcrops, anomalous in gold, occur in the North Ridge (northern Howell “E’ grid) area, which is that area at the headwaters of Howell Creek and to the north. The area was prospected and sampled in 2006. The North Ridge area was found to host gold-anomalous syenite outcrops near limestone units. A total of 129 rock samples were collected in 2006, a number of which were anomalous in gold. The second most anomalous sample from the North Ridge area in 2006 was sample GC6221 which assayed 0.68 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 28853a and 28853b (Figure 5)). The highest value came from sample GC6164 collected near the Howe showing (082GSE048), about 1.5 kilometres south of the North Ridge occurrence.

Three holes drilled in 2006 by La Quinta, were completed in the “E’ grid area (North Ridge area), to expand upon the results obtained in holes HE-1 and HE-2 by Placer Dome in 1988. Holes HW-601, HW-602 and HW-603 drilled in the 2006 program intersected large intervals of Proterozoic age siltstone and argillite intruded by several phases of syenite/monzonite intrusive with variable quantities of pyrite, variable silicification, some sericitization and localized abundant fluorite. These holes were targeted on total magnetic highs indicated in the 2004 airborne geophysical survey and did successfully confirm intrusive bodies in this feature, although with less correlation to gold mineralization than was hoped (no significant gold intercepts were encountered). A large area of the “E’ grid airborne magnetic anomaly, covered with overburden and continuing to the north, remains untested.

WORK HISTORY

In 1971, Canarctic Resources Ltd. of Calgary optioned the property and conducted detailed geochemical and geological evaluations by consultants H.H. Williams, and E.W. Jones. The results of this work indicated no gold or uranium mineralization but that there were possibilities for copper, lead, zinc mineralization within the syenitic intrusives and further work was recommended.

In 1972, geological, geochemical and geophysical work was conducted on the property for Canarctic by Consultant R.K. Netolitsky of Calgary. The results of this program indicated areas of significant lead/zinc anomalies in soi 1s and some lead/zinc mineralization was located in outcrop. The potential for lead/zinc mineralization was rated as good and further work was recommended.

In 1972, G.L. Webber conducted a reconnaissance over the claim area. This work consisted of prospecting and soil and silt geochemical checks of previously outlined anomalies. The results of this work indicated the lead/zinc anomalies are related to a network of sparsely mineralized quartz veins and associated silicification of syenite and trachyte. G.L. Webber recommends trenching to better expose a pyritic zone with traces of fluorite and galena.

In 1983, Cominco Ltd staked the Howell 1-5 claims. Work on the Howell claims consisted of heavy mineral concentrate stream sampling, silt sampling, prospecting and geological mapping. This limited program indicated anomalous amounts of gold in the heavies and located surface rubble with small amounts of silicified and quartz veined material. The mapping located areas of intense silicification, argillic alteration within the intrusives and sediments.

In 1983 Cominco collected approximately 417 soil, 14 silt, and 74 rock samples across the Howell claim area, but mostly from the Howell 5 claim and areas around it (Assessment Report 11787). The soils were collected along contour lines at 1675 metres (5,500 foot) and 1830 metres (6000 foot) elevations at 50-metre spacing. A few lines were also run along road cuts and claim lines in specific areas. Rock samples were single qrabs to four-metre chip samples.

In 1984, Cominco Ltd's program on their Howell Group of five claims was directed at those areas where previous work had located three areas where coincident anomalous gold and silver values in soils occurred (Assessment Report 13242). The 1984 program involved the collection of 133 soil samples along elevation contours, and the collection 30 rock samples and or specimens.

In 1986, Cominco's program involved the collection of 561 soil samples along elevation contours and the collection of 136 grab and/or chip samples over 5 metre intervals, expanding on areas previously sampled (Assessment Report 15095).

In 1987 Cominco, collected 619 soil samples and 65 rocks samples from Anomaly A and Anomaly E, in the area between the headwaters of Howell and Twentynine Mile creeks (Assessment Report 16908). From 1983 to 1987 five anomalous areas coincident with significant to extensive occurrences of syenite-trachyte dikes and breccias (A, B and E) or plugs (C and D) were located and explored. Several MINFILE occurrence were subsequently documented as a result of this work, including Howell (082GSE037) and Howe (082GSE048) and several new occurrences called Howell 5 (Anomaly C) (082GSE080), Confluence (Anomaly D) (082GSE088), Anomal-E (Anomaly E) (082GSE082), GR 24 (082GSE084), Wutluk (082GSE083), 29Q (082GSE085), 29S (082GSE087), SBN9 (082GSE086), and most notably the “Eastern Outlier” prospect (082GSE078). Though many of these new showings were discovered through exploration work done in the 1980s they were only documented in MINFILE in December 2022.

In 1989 Placer Dome Inc. completed an initial diamond drilling program that was carried out with seven holes totaling 1,097 metres being drilled (4 on the Howell “E” grid). Results include hole HE-2 (Howell “E’ grid) just west of 2006 hole (HW-601) near the Howe showing (083GSE048) with 45 metres grading 0.33 gram gold including 11 metres grading 0.60 gram per tonne. An area of the Howell “E’ grid was surveyed using VLF techniques and 631 additional soil samples were collected and analyzed. Some information on the HE drilling is given in Assessment Reports 23671 and 28853, however no original report on the drilling was found.

In 2002, an airborne magnetometer/radiometrics survey was flown in 2002 for Goldrea Resources Corporation (Assessment Report 27029). This survey area extended about 10 kilometres from the headwaters of Twentynine Mile and Howell creeks, southeast to the confluence of these two creeks. In 2004. La Quinta Resources Corp. optioned the Howell property and completed 217-line kilometers of airborne geophysics including magnetics and multi frequency electromagnetics (Assessment Report 27918). The survey complimented the survey completed in 2002 by Goldrea.

In 2006 La Quinta Resources Corp. completed a program of diamond drilling, talus fines sampling and rock geochemistry. Six holes totaling 884 metres were completed along with the collection and analysis of 40 talus fines samples and 129 rock samples. The most significant result of the 2006 program was hole HW-606 in the Eastern Outlier prospect area (Howell "A" Grid) (082GSE078) which returned 42.7 metres grading 0.42 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 28853). The main focus of the 2008 exploration program on the Howell property was drill testing of select targets on the Eastern Outlier zone (082GSE078). A total of 1312.5 metres of NQ sized core was drilled in 13 holes during 2008.

For further geological and work history information on the Howell property, refer to MINFILE occurrence "Eastern Outlier" (082GSE078). Also refer to Howell 5 (Anomaly C) (082GSE080) for related information.