The Giant claim is located at 1295.4 metres elevation on the southwesterly slope of Red Mountain about 1.6 kilometres northwest of Rossland. The claim is adjoined to the north and east by the Novelty claim (Lot 958) and to the southeast by the California (Lot 956). The Gold King claim (Lot 1061) lies about 91 metres west of the Giant claim.

The Giant, Novelty, California, and Gold King claims were Crown-granted in 1896 to G.W. Coplin, T.F. Wren, Chas. Warren and D.M. Lennard, respectively. Very little development work was reported on the Gold King. On the Novelty claim a shaft was sunk to 12 metres and 2 short adits driven. The Giant and California were developed by two companies, the Giant Gold Mining Company and the California Gold Mining Company, which were organized in Spokane. Development work continued into 1903 and included, on the Giant, 2 shafts totalling about 61 metres and 152 metres of drifts and crosscuts, and, on the California, about 304.8 metres of drifts and a 51.2-metre shaft.

The Giant-California Mining Company, Limited was incorporated in 1907 as successor to the above companies. The property was apparently optioned by The Granby Consolidated Mining, Smelting and Power Company, Limited. Development work during 1907-1908 was confined to the California claim in search for the extension of the ore zone from its adjacent Annie claim held by Le Roi No. 2, Limited. A 365.7-metre crosscut and a 91.4-metre shaft were driven to connect with the Le Roi No. 2 workings. In 1914 the Le Roi No. 2, Limited secured a bond on the Giant and California and some development work was reported in 1914 and 1915. The Cal-Roi Mining Company, Limited was incorporated in 1921 to acquire the property but no work was reported.

Cascade Molybdenum Mines Ltd. was incorporated in October 1964 to acquire 9 Crown-granted claims (Gold King, Evening, etc.). The Giant claim was acquired on a 20-year lease from Cominco Ltd. During 1965 the company explored several zones of mineralization by 30 diamond drill holes totalling 2624 metres on the Giant, by 15 holes totalling 1159 metres on the Evening, by 7 holes totalling 920 metres on the Gold King, and by 3 holes totalling 295 metres on the Little Darling. The work on the Giant was localized in two areas, the first in the vicinity of the upper adit at about 1295 metres elevation, and the second a breccia zone to the northeast of the first at 1356 metres elevation. In 1966 approximately 9144 metres of AX wireline drilling in 17 holes was done, mainly on the Giant claim. Reserves on the Giant claim were estimated at 558,375 tons. The company reported total indicated open pit reserves at 1,078,233 tons averaging 0.282 per cent molybdenite and 1.16 grams per tonne gold.

In January 1967 Cascade Molybdenum and Scurry-Rainbow Oil Limited agreed to a joint exploration program. During the year the full width of the breccia complex on the Giant and adjoining Novelty claim, and the eastern part of the breccia on the Golden Queen and St. Elmo claims (see 82 T/4, Mo 2), was tested by diamond drilling totalling 14020 metres in 174 holes, mainly on the Giant claim. Scurry thereby earned a major share position (282) in Cascade and assumed the management of that company. Based on the drilling by Scurry on this property, and on the adjoining Golden Queen-St. Elmo property, independent consultants calculated the indicated reserves available for open pit operations in 5 separate orebodies at 810,540 tons averaging 0.39 per cent molybdenite. In addition, some 88,000 tons of possible ore of various grades are indicated below open pit limits. In 1970 Red Mountain Mines Limited carried out trenching on the Novelty claim. Mine Finders, Inc. of Lakewood Colorado carried out a geochemical soil survey over the property in 1973. Scurry-Rainbow sold its interest in Cascade Molybdenum in 1975. The company name (Cascade) was changed in June 1975 to New Cascade Minerals Ltd., and In January 1976 to Maloney Steel Ltd.

David Minerals Ltd. by an agreement of August 1980 acquired the property from Maloney Steel for 12,000 shares, subject to a 5 per cent net smelter interest in Giant claim in favour of Cominco Ltd. Drilling was carried out on the Novelty claim in 1981. From the exploration done by Cascade there were estimated 1,070,280 tons grading 0.282 per cent MOS2 and 1.16 grams per tonne gold on the Giant and Novelty (1967) or 778,500 tons grading 0.340 per cent MOS2 and 1.98 grams per tonne gold (1971). (Geol. Rept. for David Minerals in SMF 268/80, 24/12/80).

Undiluted drill indicated reserves on the Novelty Main Zone were reported as 85,000 tons at 5.14 grams per tonne gold, 0.380 per cent MOS2, 0.126 per cent cobalt (J.L. Deleen (1984) - in David Minerals Statement of Material Facts, 11/07/85, p. 7).

The California Crown Grant is underlain by the Pennsylvanian and possibly Permian Mount Roberts Formation consisting of siltstone, hornfelsed siltstone, hornfels and a breccia complex. The siltstone is rusty, sooty and massive or thinly bedded with minor disseminated pyrrhotite and pyrite. The hornfels and hornfelsic siltstones are thinly laminated, massive cherty rocks, which locally contain brown garnet and epidote.

The succession is thought to have been thrust over augite porphyry of the underlying Rossland sill of the Elise Formation (Rossland Group) prior to the intrusion of the Middle to Late Jurassic Trail pluton (Nelson Intrusions). The siltstone is also intruded by the Early Jurassic Rossland monzonite and monzonite breccia as well as by the syenitic Middle Eocene Coryell Intrusions and associated syenite dykes. Lenticular masses of andesite and late, steeply dipping, north-trending lamprophyre and diorite dykes have also invaded the siltstone. The workings of the No. 1 tunnel were started on a pyritic vein following a contact between diorite and quartzite (Mount Roberts Formation?). The tunnel, driven about 100 metres by 1915, crosscut a 15 centimetre wide vein of arsenopyrite that ran as high as 35 per cent arsenic. A shaft, started on a vein striking north and dipping east, contained unspecified economic minerals. Quartzite contains specks of chalcopyrite and abundant pyrite. In places such mineralization is concentrated in definite bands 18 to 33.5 metres in width which as rule follows micaceous syenite porphyry (pulaskite). A sample taken from the California claim for a thesis study contained arsenopyrite, pyrite and sphalerite (Thorpe, 1967).

The California vein was mined in conjunction with the Giant vein system (082FSW109). In 7 years Between 1898 to 1913, 4131 tonnes of ore was shipped from the California and Giant claims. From this ore, 113,246 grams gold, 23,265 grams silver, and 1330 kilograms of copper were recovered.