The Sterling (Galena Creek) occurrences are located a short distance south east of Galena Creek, north east of Lower Arrow Lake.

The area is underlain by Lardeau Group metasediments consisting of sericitic impure quartzite, quartz-chlorite-muscovite schist, graphite schist, crystalline limestone and chlorite-muscovite-magnetite schist. The rocks have a general strike of 015 degrees and a 30 degree northwest dip.

Locally, a shear zone hosts molybdenite and galena mineralization in concordant pegmatite-like sills and in quartz or quartz-albite veins. Pyrite and pyrrhotite are disseminated throughout the rocks, while traces of chalcopyrite and sphalerite are also reported. Fuchsite, albite, and rutile are associated with molybdenum and feldspars are locally altered to epidote, sericite, and chlorite (sausseritization). Another similar shear zone is reported to occur 900 metres to the south in a creek bed, now under Lower Arrow Lake.

In 1962, a 21.6 metre chip sample assayed 0.93 per cent molybdenum, while a character sample (24221) assayed up to 374.4 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 00539). In 1966, diamond drilling is reported to have yielded up to 0.11 per cent molybdenum over 10 metres (Property File - Esso [1981-01-01]: Report - Kuskanax Joint Venture).

In 1981, drill hole 81-8 intercepted 2.0 metres yielding 2.84 per cent molybdenum from 9.0 to 11.0 metres; while another section, from 35.4 to 38.0 metres, yielded 0.078 per cent molybdenum, 1.02 per cent lead and 13.4 grams per tonne silver over 2.60 metres. A nearby drill hole (81-2) intercepted 2.4 metres yielding 0.234 per cent molybdenum (Assessment Report 9329).

The area was first staked in the late 1880’s as the Sterling and Hardpan claims. In the early 1900’s, two open cuts and three short adits were driven. In 1962, Great West Mining completed a program of sampling and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the Robina property. In 1966, Scurry-Rainbow Oil Company completed a program of electromagnetic and magnetic surveys and three diamond drill holes. In 1971, five or six diamond drill holes, totalling 612.3 metres, were completed by Nissan Mining and Development. In 1979, Brenda Mines completed soil sampling in the area. During 1980 and 1981, Newmont Mines, in conjunction with Esso, completed a program of geological mapping, sampling and 10 diamond drill holes, totalling 1427.3 metres, on the area as the Sterling claims.