The Toe occurrence consists of minor copper mineralization located sporadically in the area between Paradise and Boot lakes, 21 kilometres northeast of the community of Missezula Lake. This area lies 18 kilometres east of the historical Aspen Grove copper camp, between Merritt and Princeton.

The Toe occurrence is hosted in the Upper Triassic Nicola Group, which regionally consists of alkalic and calc-alkalic volcanics and intrusions of island arc origin, and which is the principal component of the Quesnel terrane in southern British Columbia (Geological Survey of Canada Maps 41-1989, 1713A). This belt has been of major economic interest because of its potential for porphyry copper-gold mineralization.

The occurrence lies in the Eastern belt or facies of the Nicola Group, which is characterized by submarine volcaniclastic rocks and volcanic flows (Bulletin 69; Geological Survey of Canada Map 41-1989). Exposure is limited in the Paradise and Boot lakes area (mainly on the Toe 27-29, 51, 54, 55 claims), which is underlain by augite porphyritic volcanic flows of andesitic to basaltic composition, fragmental rocks including tuff and breccia, minor argillite and diorite (Assessment Reports 1049, 1586).

The Nicola rocks in this area form a northeast-closing embayment largely surrounded by the Lower Jurassic Pennask Batholith, a large intrusion of medium-grained granodiorite to quartz diorite (Geological Survey of Canada Map 41-1989). The contact of the batholith passes through the northwestern part of the Toe claims. The diorite bodies in the volcanics may be related to this intrusion.

The volcanics have been contact metamorphosed and hydrothermally altered by the intrusive activity, resulting in the formation of ‘metadiorite’ locally (Assessment Report 1586). These altered rocks locally contain significant disseminated magnetite and/or pyrite, with minor chalcopyrite in places.

A major copper soil anomaly occurs within the Toe claim group, measuring 3500 by 900 metres; a mercury anomaly is associated (Assessment Reports 1049, 1586). The highest soil anomaly was 0.07 per cent copper (Assessment Report 1586).

Locally, on the former Toe 14 claim, located approximately 3 kilometres west of the plotted location of the Toe occurrence, disseminated chalcopyrite occurs in a strongly pyritic zone in a recrystallized to hornfelsed and skarned tuff or schist and siliceous volcanics.

In 2000, three grab samples (11876, 11880 and 11881) of rhyolite- and chlorite-epidote–altered basalt with disseminated pyrite, located approximately 800 metres west of the plotted location of the occurrence, assayed 0.134, 0.144 and 0.113 gram per tonne gold, respectively, whereas five grab samples (11871 through 11875) of similar mineralization, located approximately 2.5 kilometres west of the plotted location of the occurrence, yielded from 0.108 to 0.220 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26605).

In 2008, drilling returned up to 0.049 per cent copper over 1.0 metre (Hole VRT07-2A; Assessment Report 30340).

In 2017, a float sample (J488682) of basalt with epidote-pyrite veinlets assayed 0.071 per cent copper and 0.139 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 37096).

Work History

During 1966 through 1969, Consolidated Skeena Mines Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, soil sampling, a 71.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey, 45.7 line-kilometres of induced and self potential surveys and a 637 line-kilometre airborne geophysical (magnetic, electromagnetic and radiometric) on the area as the Echo and Toe claim groups of the Tommy property.

In 1996, George Resources (later Rocca Resources) prospected the area.

In 2000, Commerce Resources Corp. completed a program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Bigtoe property.

During 2005 through 2017, Victory Resource Corp. conducted various programs of prospecting, geological mapping, structural analysis, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and geophysical surveys, and five diamond drill holes, totalling 745.1 metres, on the area as the Toe claim group of the Toni and Wen-Toe properties.

In 2019, Arron Albano prospected and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling the area as the Rory property.