The Nicola Lake (Bona Vista-Cervo) occurrence is located near the east shoreline of a south-trending point on the north shore of Nicola Lake, approximately 6.7 kilometres east of the community of Nicola.

The area is located near the southwestern contact of the Lower Jurassic granodioritic Nicola Batholith with variably foliated diorite, amphibolite and metasediments of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group.

The occurrence area is mainly underlain by chlorite schist with foliations striking northwest to north and dipping steeply to the west. Carbonate lenses and argillaceous layers are interbedded in the metavolcanic rocks. Rocks are highly sheared and fractured. Alteration consists of widespread chloritization, epidote stringers, variable silicification and carbonitization, quartz-calcite veining and oxidation (malachite, azurite, limonite and hematite). Copper mineralization occurs as blebs of chalcopyrite, malachite, azurite, bornite and pyrite.

In 1978, a rock sample (no. 2), taken a short distance north of the shoreline adit from an area of historic pits, assayed 8.6 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 7217).

In 1983, seven samples (A through G) collected over a drift length of approximately 24 metres in adit A, located near the shoreline of Nicola Lake, yielded an average of 0.59 per cent copper, 3.4 grams per tonne silver and 4.1 grams per tonne gold over an average width of 0.52 metre, including 15.6 grams per tonne gold with 9.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.20 per cent copper over 0.45 metre (Sample C; Property File - 10763).

In 1987, a sample (D1) of mineralized quartz vein material from the east wall of the portal to adit A yielded 0.860 per cent copper, 6.2 grams per tonne silver and 5.9 grams per tonne gold over 0.3 metre (Property File - 10763).

Work History

Three adits and a number of pits, dating to the 1930s, have been developed on the occurrence area. The main adit is approximately 20 metres in length with one crosscut.

In 1978, Leonard Peckham completed a program of prospecting and minor sampling on the area as the Bona Vista claim.

In 1983, Acqualin Resources Ltd. completed a program of rock and soil sampling, ground magnetic and electromagnetic surveys and a single diamond drill hole on the area as the Cervo 1 claim.