Dolomite and limestone outcrop on the south side of Tsuius Creek, 3 kilometres east of Mabel Lake.
The Kingfisher Marble deposit comprises at least four distinct marble horizons hosted in granitic gneiss of the Precambrian- Paleozoic(?) Shuswap Metamorphic Complex. These units strike northwest and dip 10 to 20 degrees southwest. The two northernmost marble horizons, each in excess of 25 metres thick, have been traced over a distance of 500 metres (Yorke-Hardy, 1990). Three short holes, drilled on dolomite outcrop in the southernmost horizons, intersected continuous dolomite to depths of up to 20.7 metres (Assessment Report 7797, Hole DDH 1).
The two northern horizons are comprised of coarse to fine grained whitish marble with alternating greyish streaks and sometimes with pale blue, yellowish or brownish tones. Possible bedding is reflected in bands of differing grain size and colour. The marble frequently contains siliceous inclusions as beds or nodules. A sample of marble analysed by x-ray diffraction identified calcite, dolomite, diopside, tremolite and possible wollastonite (Hardy BBT Ltd., 1990).
Extensive fracturing is evident in outcrop, suggesting most of the marble will not yield large blocks. However, a series of nine blocks ranging in size from 1.2 by 0.9 by 0.38 metres to 2.4 by 1.5 by 1.5 metres were successfully extracted from outcrop. One of the marble horizons is estimated to contain inferred reserves of 2 million cubic metres (approximately 2 million tonnes) over a strike length of 500 metres and an average thickness of 25 metres (Yorke-Hardy, 1990).
Drilling on the two southern horizons intersected light grey to white, medium-grained dolomite with some calcite stringers, minor pyrite and minor garnet, occurring sometimes as thin reddish brown bands. The dolomite also contains a few bands of very light grey recrystallized limestone and is underlain by white to very light grey limestone with occasional garnet and minor pyrite (Assessment Report 7797).
The two northern marble horizons were sampled and drilled by Clifton Development Ltd. of Kelowna in 1990, while the two southern horizons were drilled by Wallace Chaput in 1979. The marbles were evaluated for possible use as dimension stone.
Franz Capital Corporation Ltd. has been delivering stone products from the Kingfisher marble quarry to landscape and brick retail businesses and construction sites in British Columbia and Alberta. The company plans to improve productivity and increase production and sales to approximately 200 tonnes per month. Products manufactured and stockpiled include split stone bricks and marble rock and chips (Information Circular 1996-1, page 10).
Work in 1994 was concentrated in the southwest property area and consisted of bulk sampling and quarry development on the southernmost exposure of the white calcite marble zone. A total of 24,000 tonnes of calcite marble was excavated by drilling and blasting. Some 4000 tonnes has been crushed to minus 2 inch aggregate, 10,000 tonnes remains to be crushed, and 16,000 tonnes of rock is stored in boulder form (Assessment Report 24607).
In 2009, the area immediatly south and above the Kingfisher quarry was investigated with four new target areas being identified. All targets were of grey banded to massive white marble (Assessment Report 30997).
