The McKinlay 1 showing is located south of McKinlay peak and 20 kilometres southeast of Port Alberni.

The area is underlain by volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Devonian Nitinat Formation, Sicker Group. These comprise andesitic tuff, massive green andesite, lapilli tuff, pyroxene feldspar porphyrytic agglomerates and tuffs and cherty siltstone.

A soil survey conducted in 1987 outlined five anomalous zones, the most significant zone is 400 metres long and partly coincident with a pyrite-silica-iron carbonate alteration zone which is greater than 5 metres wide. A chip sample assayed 0.0685 grams per tonne gold, 8.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.4 per cent copper, 0.13 per cent lead and 0.465 per cent zinc from a zone that trends northeast (Assessment Report 16822). Alteration is accompanied by disseminated pyrite, iron carbonate and mariposite with minor galena and sphalerite.