The property is underlain by Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group volcanics of the Nilkitkwa Formation. The rocks are comprised of andesite flows with associated red tuffs, red breccias, green tuffs and a band of interbedded fossiliferous limestone which strikes southeast and dips steeply north. At elevation 1950 metres, an adit was driven into the massive andesite and poorly bedded red tuffs along a tight fissured fault which strikes south and dips vertically. No mineralization was found but stringers and veinlets of bornite were exposed in a nearby small, irregular shaped shear. Ore from this cut sampled by J.D. Galloway in 1916 assayed 14.5 grams gold, 4117.6 grams silver and 47.8 per cent copper (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 223, page 70). At 1980 metres elevation there is a large flat area littered with disintegrated rock. Several veins were located by test pits and in one open cut a galena vein occurs along a fault fissure striking 130 degrees and dipping 60 degrees northeast. The vein contains up to 5 per cent chalcopyrite associated with solid galena. Open cuts exposed a persistent fault fissure with variable mineral content or areas with very little or no vein filling. In a cut at elevation 2040 metres a vein is exposed for 4.6 metres. The vein ranges between 8 to 30 centimetres wide and consists of solid, coarsely crystalline galena with less than 1 per cent chalcopyrite. In 1934, a selected sample assayed 3.4 grams per tonne gold, 3515.9 grams per tonne silver and 83.58 per cent lead (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1934, page C6).
Along the northern rim of the flat area a shear zone in fine- grained andesite is exposed striking from 90 to 135 degrees east and dipping from nearly vertical to 70 degrees south. There were three sulphide veins associated with this shear at elevation 2010 metres. The vein filling consists of approximately equal portions of solid galena and dark sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite. A representative sample assayed 8.2 grams per tonne gold, 1448.9 grams per tonne silver, 26.21 per cent lead, 28.45 per cent zinc, and 0.74 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1928, page C164). Additionally, two other mineralized veins were exposed, one contain- ing an abundant amount of sphalerite with some carbonate gangue. Other smaller veins were exposed in the andesite and tuffaceous rocks near the centre of the large flat area.
In 1913, two tonnes of ore was mined and produced 5412 grams silver and 834 kilograms copper.
WORK HISTORY
A group of 9 claims, including the Reliance, Tower Hill, and Silver Top, were staked in this vicinity by Messrs. Loring and the Hankin Brothers, of Haselton, in about 1905. The claims may have included the Silver Lake showings. Assessment work during the period 1905-07 was done in open cuts.
The White Heather group of 4 claims was staked on the showings by Frank Martin in about 1513. A small amount of sorted ore was shipped in 1913 and further mining operations were reported in 1916.
Showings in this vicinity were reported on in 1923 and 1924 as the Silver Peak group and adjoining claims. Although the owners are not named, and the location is not known with any degree of certainty, the Silver Peak group has been tentatively identified with the Silver Lake property. In 1923 the Silver Peak group was under option to D.J. Williams. Old prospect shafts and cuts were cleaned out and sampled. The option was given up before the end of the year. In 1924 considerable work was reported on the Silver Peak group and adjoining claims by The Nipissing Mining Company, Limited, under an option agreement.
The showings were restaked as the Silver Lake No. 1 and Bo. 2 claims by P. Schufer and L.S. McGill in about 1926. Assessment work to 1929 was done in open cuts and a short adit. A new discovery, thought to be on adjacent ground, was staked in 1928 as the Trade Dollar group (093L 230). An 2.4 metre pit was sunk on the best showing. A survey carried out in 1929 indicated the showing was on Silver Lake ground.
The Silver Lake property was optioned late in 1929 by R.W. Wilson and Sons, of Great Falls, Montana. Extensive open cutting was carried out. In 1933, a crosscut adit was begun at the 1890 metres elevation and during 1934 was extended to a length of 18.3 metres. In 1954,a 33.5-metre adit at the 1950 metres elevation. The option was given up in about 1936.
The Silver Lake No. 1, Silver Lake No. 2, Bee, Cee, Key Fr., 'A' Fr., Silver Lake No. 3, and Second Glacier claims (Lots 7239-7244, 7246, and 7267, respectively) were Crown-granted in 1939 to Schufer and McGill.
Sil-Van Consolidated Mining and Milling Company, Ltd., incorporated in September 1950, acquired a number of properties on Hudson Bay Mountain, including the Silver Lake group. The company name was changed in 1957 to Sil-Van Mines Limited, with Silver Standard Mines Limited acquiring a 36.5 per cent interest in the company. The Silver Lake and adjacent groups were transferred to a new company, Hudson Bay Mountain Silver Mines Ltd., which was incorporated in 1963. Work on the Silver Lake group during 1964-65 included bulldozer trenching, drilling, blasting, and sampling. Diamond drilling was done in 16 holes totalling 1024 metres, part of which was on the adjoining Silver Creek group. In 1966 two prospect shafts totalling 27.7 metres were sunk on high-grade showings and a sublevel was driven 29.6 metres from the bottom of one shaft.
The company name (Sil-van) was changed in 1969 to Dorita Silver Mines Ltd. At that time the company held a 90 per cent interest in the Silver Lake property. Dorita, in 1978, sold all its mineral properties to Silver Standard Mines Limited.
In 2011, a surficial exploration program was completed on the Hudson Bay Mountain property by Lions Gate Metals Inc from June to August 2011. Focus was given to locating and testing historical showings and investigating areas outlined by the 2008 Quest West airborne survey. Historic mineral occurrences on the property are: King Tut [093L 087] (prospect); Bonanza [093L 096] (showing); Silver Lake (L.7239) [093L 097] (Past Producer); Iron Vault (L.5754) [093L 098] (Past Producer); Mammoth (L.7249) [093L 100] (Prospect); Copper Queen (L.5751) [093L 101] (Developed Prospect); Josie (L.7251) [093L 229] (Prospect); and Silver Lake 2 (L.7240) [093L 231] (Past Producer).
Silt samples were collected from creeks within and draining the property and several soils grids were completed over areas of interest. A total of 122 rock samples were collected and submitted for assay over the 2011 field program. Samples were collected from areas of known mineralization as well as new areas. Results obtained from samples collected from known showings support historical results. Rocks samples were collected from King Tut, Iron Vault, Copper Queen, Josie, Silver Lake 2 and Silver Lake. Efforts were made to locate the Mammoth, Rachel, Vancouver and Bonanza showings but were considered unsuccessful.
