The Onward occurrence is located on the south shore of Delkluz Lake, 3.5 kilometres south of the Ingenika River, approximately 106 kilometres north-northeast of the community of Germansen Landing and 195 kilometres northwest of Mackenzie.

The area is underlain by carbonate strata belonging to the Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group, which overlie sandstones of the Neoproterozoic Ingenika Group. The Kechika Group forms the core of a broad north-plunging syncline that outcrops approximately 3 kilometres south of the Swannell River.

Hostrocks are blue-grey to cream coloured crystalline limestone belonging to the Ingenika Group. Bedding strikes 100 degrees and dips between 20 and 40 degrees to the north. Mineralization is hosted in a carbonate-rich section of Ingenika Group carbonaceous siltstone interbedded with Kechika Group limestone-dolomite beds. Unlike the Ingenika mine (094C 002) mineralization located 2 kilometres to the north, the mineralization present at the Onward and Onward South (094C 182) showings crosscuts the host limestone.

Trenching has exposed a siderite- and quartz-flooded brecciated vein system with galena, sphalerite, and pyrite. On the south shore of Delkluz Lake, 7.5-metre-thick contorted and brecciated limestone contains vein quartz and siderite with discontinuous lenses, some flat lying, composed mainly of galena, sphalerite, and pyrite (Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 274, page 208). Surface trenching and underground exploration has failed to extend the mineralization. A grab sample assayed 274.3 grams per tonne silver, 18 per cent lead and nil zinc (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1928, page 185). The Onward South occurrence, located 484 metres to the south and hosted in a crosscutting breccia, consists of coarse-grained, dark brown resinous sphalerite and fine-grained galena in a matrix of fine-grained calcite.

In 1917, the original claims in the area were staked by S. Ferguson. The claims covered an oxidized limestone hill, now known as Ferguson Hill, immediately north of Delkluz Lake and south of the Ingenika River.

In 1926, the claims were acquired by the Selkirk Mining Syndicate of Victoria. In 1927, Ingenika Mines Limited was incorporated by W.R. Wilson and sons and between 1927 and 1932 the company completed the development of underground drifts, crosscuts and raises, still in existence today (see Ingenika mine, 094C 002). Extensive trenching and minor diamond drilling was also completed during this time. The underground workings explored four base metal zones from four levels (1, 2, 4 and 5) and ore was encountered in all levels except the lowest (5). Due to a lack of economic mineralization, operation ceased in 1932.

The Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited (Cominco) acquired the property, then known as the Gen property, in the 1950s. From 1956 to 1957, Consolidated Mining and Smelting completed geological mapping, geophysical surveying, geochemical soil testing, trenching and tunnel rehabilitation and 3602 metres of AQ-size diamond drilling in and around the Ingenika mine, Onward, Onward South and Swannell (094C 005) showings.

In 1967, Northlode Explorations Limited completed a gravity geophysical survey over a grid located to the southwest of Delkluz Lake as part of an exploration program targeting the Swannell showing to the south. In 1969, Dorita Silver Mines acquired the property and completed surface and underground mapping and 21 diamond-drill holes totalling 550 metres. Based on this work, Dorita Silver Mines gave an unofficial estimated mine reserve of 22,677 tonnes grading 119.9 grams per tonne silver, 9.87 per cent lead and 6.1 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 28461).

In 1987, Cossack Gold Corporation acquired a group of 23 claims in the immediate vicinity of the historic Ingenika mine and attempted to find a purchaser for the property. The property was acquired by International Impala Resources in 1990. Impala Resources completed 22 kilometres of magnetic and very low-frequency electromagnetic geophysical surveying and 7 kilometres of induced polarization geophysical surveying. In total, 490 soil samples and 14 rock samples were collected and sent for analysis.

Cross Lake Minerals Limited restaked the Ingenika property in 2000. The new Ingenika property surrounded the historic Ingenika mine site, located on three claims held by Teck. In 2001, Cross Lake completed extensive geochemical surveys and three BQTK-size diamond-drill holes totalling 400.8 metres. The following year, Cross Lake completed four trenches totalling 175 metres and four NQTK-size diamond-drill holes. None of the trenches were successful in exposing bedrock because glacial till was more than 5 metres deep, though fragments of sphalerite and galena base metal mineralization were recovered during trenching. In 2004, Cross Lake Minerals granted Bard Ventures Limited a 50 per cent option on the Ingenika and Swannell properties, based on a $2.1 million expenditure by December 31, 2007. That year, Cross Lake completed 17 kilometres of three-dimensional inversion induced polarization surveying over Grid A, located in and around the Ingenika mine and covering the Ferguson (094C 002) and Onward South showings. The purpose of the survey was to test the geophysical method over a known occurrence. The survey over Grid A yielded positive results and a 49.5 line-kilometre survey was completed over Grid B. Grid B was located south of Delkluz Lake and covered both the Onward and Onward South showings. In 2005, Cross Lake Minerals assigned the two properties to its subsidiary, Selkirk Holdings. That year, seven diamond-drill holes totalling 992.67 metres were completed on targets identified from the three-dimensional inversion induced polarization survey. The three-dimensional induced polarization survey failed to detect any new mineralization because no major sulphide bodies were intersected during drilling, though minor pyrite and pyrrhotite was seen in and adjacent to quartz-carbonate veins.

In 2015, Spearhead Mining Corporation completed a program of reconnaissance geological mapping, prospecting, and rock sampling (29) on the Swannell property which covered the Onward South (094C 182), Onward and Swannell occurrences. Rock samples confirm the high-grade nature of massive sulphide areas that have been sampled in earlier exploration campaigns.

In 2018, on behalf of Spearhead Mining Corporation, a program consisting of detailed rock sampling in addition to a pilot biogeochemical tree bark survey was carried out over claims covering the Onward, Swannell and Onward South showings. A total of 18 rock samples and 175 tree bark samples were taken.