The Bacon Lake (Willy) occurrence is located near the south eastern shore of Bacon Lake.
The area is underlain by Karmutsen Formation volcanics overlain by Quatsino Formation limestone, both of the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group. These in turn are overlain by volcanic flows and breccias of the Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group. Intruding the stratigraphy are plutonic rocks of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite. These plutonic rocks on Vancouver Island vary in composition from gabbro to quartz monzonite but are mainly granodiorite and quartz diorite.
The Willy deposit (main showing) occurs within beds of andesitic tuff and crystalline limestone. Magnetite is visible on the surface in ten or twelve isolated outcrops over a length of about 90 metres and a width of from 3 to 8 metres. At most exposures the magnetite is nearly pure, but at some it is disseminated throughout the volcanics. Drill logs, from 1951, indicate that magnetite occurs in seams, bands and stringers, mainly in green volcanics, either massively or with garnetite, epidote, calcite and pyrite. Chalcopyrite was encountered in one hole, occurring in a seam with garnetite and epidote and as specks with marcasite in volcanic rock. Limestone is common and diorite was intersected at the bottom of a few holes.
The main showing (Willy) is described as consisting of two separate pods of mineralization, later referred to as Pods 1 and 2.
In 1951, Pod 1 was drilled and channel sampled over a 100 metres in length with magnetite intersections occurring from surface to 17.5 metres in depth. These ranged from 2 to 10.5 metre wide intercepts in seven drill holes with an average width of 4.8 metres yielding 45 per cent iron (Assessment Report 33963).
In 2013, four diamond drill holes were completed yielding:
Drill Holes No. Magnetite Intersection Iron
Lens Depth
(metres) (metres) (per cent)
DDH 12-1 10 - 32 6.55 29
DDH 12-2 15 - 35 12.0 30
DDH 12-3 20 - 28 7.0 50
DDH 12-7 26 - 36 6.3 33
Average 8.0 35
(Assessment Report 33963
In 1951, five drill holes were completed on Pod 2 showing magnetite intersections occurring from surface to a depth of 17.5 metres and ranging from 2 to 8 metres wide. Assays yielded an average 45 per cent iron over an average width of 5.7 metres (Assessment Report 33963).
In 2013, three diamond drill holes were completed yielding:
Drill Holes No. Magnetite Intersection Iron
Lens Depth
(metres) (metres) (per cent)
DDH 12-4 20 - 52 22 30
DDH 12-5 8 - 48 23 30
DDH 12-6 15 - 44 20 30
Average 21 30
(Assessment Report 33963)
In 1987, a sample (B-87-001) of magnetite with erythrite, from a 1 by 2.5 metre exposure, assayed 21.5 grams per tonne gold, 3.2 grams per tonne silver, 20 per cent iron and 1.06 per cent cobalt (Assessment Report 16321). Other samples yielded up to 0.45 per cent copper, 54.9 per cent iron and 8.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 17395). In 1997, a sample (RBL 2) assayed 9.28 grams per tonne gold and greater than 30 per cent iron over 2.0 metres (Assessment Report 25513).
A number of massive magnetite-garnet-pyrite skarns are exposed along or near the road for a few hundred metres north and south of the main showing. In 1997, sampling north of the main showing yielded up to 60.31 per cent iron over 1.8 metres (sample RBL 50); while sampling south of main showing yielded values up to 58.49 per cent iron over 3.8 metres (sample RBL 47; Assessment Report 25513).
In 1951, Argonaut Mines Limited completed a program including at least 19 diamond drill holes and a magnetometer survey. In 1987, R. Tessolini prospected the area as the Bacon claims. In 1989 and 1991, M. Sawiuk completed programs of geological mapping, rock sampling and ground magnetometer surveys on the area. In 1997, IMA Resources Corporation completed a program of geochemical sampling, geological mapping and trenching, totalling 350.0 metres in 20 trenches, on the area as the Bacon 1-4 claims. During 2009 through 2013, Western GateWay Minerals completed programs of ground and airborne magnetic surveys, soil sampling and 7 diamond drill holes, totalling 624.0 metres, on the area as the Bacon Lake property.