The Highland Mary (Lot 1462) claim is 15.5 kilometres east of Beaverdell and 48 km north of Rock Creek. It lies at approximately 1250 metres elevation, just northeast of the Barnato claim (L. 2848; MINFILE 082ESE109). The claim is northeast of the headwater area of Stewartson Creek, on the east slope of Lake Ridge. The area has been extensively logged, resulting in a network of four wheel drive roads. Access to the property is by logging roads from either the main Kettle Valley road to the east or from Beaverdell to the west.
The area is located on a tongue of Jurassic Westkettle quartz diorite (Nelson Intrusions), with Anarchist Group sedimentary rocks to the east and west. There are many porphyritic dikes of andesitic and syenitic composition present, which appear to be younger than the mineralization.
The uppermost open cut is targeted on a 130-centimetre wide vein composed of almost solid arsenopyrite that strikes 025 degrees and dip 65 degrees southeast. To the north of this in the same cut are several narrow stringers of arsenopyrite. In the middle cut, a rusty band, 5 centimetres wide, dips 60 degrees northwest. In the third cut, an arsenopyrite bearing quartz vein, 65 centimetres wide and traceable northeast for 9 metres, is cut off by a dike. A sample across this vein assayed only a trace of gold and silver.
The pit at the west end of the lowest cut exposes a vertical arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite-pyrite bearing quartz vein, 0.6 metre wide and striking 040 degrees. A second pit, located 9 metres to the east, contains a similar but narrower, 23-centimetre wide vein, that dips 75 degrees southeast. A sample from the latter locality assayed 17 grams per tonne gold and 10 grams per tonne silver.
The latter locality, believed to be the original Highland Mary vein, was re-sampled by Carmac in 1989 and the new results showed 11.9 grams per tonne gold across a width of 2 metres. Sampling and mapping by Carmac in 1990 show the Highland Mary vein to range in width from 20 to 140 centimetres with grades ranging up to 9.5 grams per tonne gold and 31 per cent arsenic. A parallel vein, located 15 metres to the west of the southernmost exposure near the south corner of the Highland Mary claim, assayed 18.5 grams per tonne gold and 28.84 per cent arsenic over a sampling width of 30 centimetres. Both veins remain open along strike and the area between them is largely covered with overburden. (Sampling and details from Assessment Report 20122.)
In 2000, a pick dump sample of vein material assayed 23..05 grams per tonne gold (Property File - R.E. Gale [2001-02-21]: Summary - Ward Group-Gold Prospect).
The Highland Mary claim adjoins the Mountain View claim (Lot 1542) on the northeast. The original showings are just within adjacent corners of the two claims at the elevation of approximately 1250 metres; there are three open cuts in a line up the hillside and, below this, two pits at the ends of a 9-metre open cut.
The first work on the Highland Mary claim was reported in 1898 and noted the occurrence of gold in the area associated with quartz veins. The claim was Crown granted to Sydney Johnson in 1904. In 1917, it was observed that no work had been done in the area for some time and that many of the old workings had caved.
In 1938, production from the Barnato claim resulted in renewed activity throughout the area. At this time, Cominco optioned the property and completed an exploration program consisting of mapping, prospecting, test pitting and drilling. This showed that the veins in the vicinity of the main Barnato workings were erratic along strike and diminished in thickness and grade with depth. During the period from 1965 to 1966, Amcana Gold Mines conducted a program of road construction, claim surveying, trenching and diamond drilling (four short holes) in the area of the main Barnato workings. In 1977, Camnor Resources Ltd. acquired the property from G. Bleiler. Subsequently, the company completed several programs consisting of ground and air geophysical surveys, soil and rock chip sampling, mapping, trenching, prospecting and limited diamond drilling (five NQ holes, totalling 302.9 metres). Golden Seal Resources optioned the property in 1986 and completed a small percussion drill program totalling 202.4 metres in four holes. Golden Seal terminated the option because of poor results. Following this, limited soil and rock chip sampling and mapping programs were completed by Camnor Resources Ltd. and Carmac Resources Ltd. in 1989.
In 1997, Emjay Enterprises Ltd. optioned the property from Phelps Dodge Corp. and carried out some geological mapping, sampling, and an induced polarization survey, and in 1999 the work continued with additional mapping, soil geochemical programs and a ground magnetic survey. Based on this work, Gale (Assessment Report 26043) interpreted that there might be two parallel zones of mineralization that strike north to northeast and dip almost vertically. In 2000, a program of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping, trenching and a 9.4 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey was completed.
