The Defiance (L.498) occurrence is located on an east flowing tributary of Handy Creek, approximately 1.3 kilometres north- north west of the creek mouth. The deposits were developed in the early 1900's by considerable stripping, and by open-cutting and by two tunnels 30 metres and 11 metres in length, respectively.
The area is underlain by Upper Triassic Vancouver Group rocks consisting of basalts of the Karmutsen Formation, which are in intrusive contact, or interbedded with limestone of the Quatsino Formation. A large body of granodiorite of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite (formerly the Island Intrusions) has intruded the strata within a few kilometres to the east.
Lenses of magnetite, intimately mixed with garnet, siderite and calcite, occur in a number of isolated pockets and lenses, strung out in northeast direction on a relatively flat bench. Two of the occurrences are cut by a small creek, while the third covers a flat about 5 metres square. The deposits are variably reported to occur at the contact of limestone and either Vancouver Group igneous rock (Karmutsen?) or hornblende diorite (Island Plutonic Suite?).
At the first lens the adit was caved but the dump material showed magnetite mixed with chalcopyrite. A sample of this material assayed 52.6 per cent iron, 3.3 per cent copper, 41.14 grams per tonne silver, 4.2 per cent sulphur, 12.1 per cent silica and a trace of gold (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1917, page 288).
The second lens is reported to show a width of about 3.7 metres and a length of 18 metres. The magnetite shows very little impurities; the only gangue material is garnetite in small quantities. The deposit strikes northwest and dips vertically. A sample of this material graded 66.0 per cent iron, 3.3 per cent silica and a trace of sulphur (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1917, page 289).
The other lens, located about 45 metres to the northwest of the second, is about 1.2 metres wide and has been prospected by an opencut.
In 1986 through 1989, Chelan Resources completed programs of geochemical sampling, geological mapping and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the Liquid Sunshine project.
In 2007 through 2013, Nahminto Resources completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, a ground magnetometer survey and airborne geophysical surveys on the area as the TJM claims, apart of the Nahmint property.
