The Vista Ridge occurrence is located on a mountain peak between Petrie Creek and Redfern Lake, approximately 5.3 kilometres northeast of the lakes northwest end.

The western portion of the Redfern Lake area is underlain by a conformable package of Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group, Ordovician Skoki Formation, an unnamed Upper Ordovician sandstone unit, Silurian Nonda Formation, Lower Devonian Muncho-McConnell Formation, Lower to Middle Devonian Stone Formation and Middle Devonian Dunedin Formation. To the east, this package is thrust over Dunedin and Stone formation strata, which are in turn thrust over Devonian to Carboniferous Besa River Formation shale. The Dunedin Formation can be divided into a lower dolomite unit and an upper micritic limestone unit.

The Vista Ridge occurrence, hosted by highly silicified and pyritic lower Dunedin Formation dolomite, occurs within the westernmost thrust panel. The mineralization consists of a 40 by 12-metre massive barite body with disseminated smithsonite, sphalerite, very minor galena and associated calcite veins. Pyrobitumen is also reported.

In 1973, an outcrop grab sample (F-177) of calcite-barite vein hosting minor blebs of galena cutting light grey crystalline limestone from the Vista occurrence area assayed 11.63 per cent zinc and 0.16 per cent lead (Assessment Report 5316).

In 1975, a bulk grab sample averaged 0.70 per cent zinc and 0.01 per cent lead (Assessment Report 5551).

Work History

In 1972, Vestor Explorations Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and soil sampling on the Redfern Lake area as the Chilly, Damn, Egg and Foo claims. In 1973, Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. completed a program of geological mapping, minor rock sampling, a 36.2 line-kilometre induced polarization survey, a 30.5 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey and a photogeological study on the Foo, Egg, Chilly, Vista and Damn claim groups. In 1974, Rio Tinto Canadian Exploration Ltd. completed nine diamond drill holes, totalling 608.0 metres, on the Vestor property. In 1975, a further program of geological mapping and soil sampling was completed on the property. In 1979, Teck Explorations Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the Vestor property.

Also, during 1973 through 1975, Aquitaine Company of Canada Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling, a photogeological study and a 5.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as the KEI claims. In 1976, Aquitaine completed five diamond drill holes, totalling 575.0 metres, on the KEI claims.