The Takla prospect, on the Brenda property, is located approximately 1.7 kilometres east-southeast of the Shasta mine (094E 050), some 280 kilometres north of Smithers. There are 4 mineralized zones on the Brenda property: the Takla zone, the Creek zone (094E 107), the White Pass area/Brenda zone (094E 147) and the EB zone (094E 148).
The occurrence lies within the Omineca-Cassiar mountains at the southern end of the Toodoggone gold camp. The Takla prospect is situated within a Mesozoic volcanic arc assemblage which lies along the eastern margin of the Intermontane Belt, a northwest- trending belt of Paleozoic to Tertiary sediments, volcanics and intrusions bounded to the east by the Omineca Belt and to the west and southwest by the Sustut and Bowser basins.
Permian Asitka Group crystalline limestones are the oldest rocks exposed in the region. They are commonly in thrust contact with Upper Triassic Takla Group andesite flows and pyroclastic rocks. These Takla rocks have been intruded by plutons and other bodies of the mainly granodiorite to quartz monzonite Early Jurassic Black Lake Suite and are in turn unconformably overlain by or faulted against Lower Jurassic calcalkaline volcanics of the Toodoggone Formation, Hazelton Group.
The dominant structures in the area are steeply dipping faults which define a prominent regional northwest structural fabric trending 140 to 170 degrees. In turn, high angle northeast-striking faults (approximately 060 degrees) appear to truncate and displace northwest-striking faults. Collectively these faults form a boundary for variably rotated and tilted blocks underlain by monoclinal strata.
A package of unaltered to strongly altered mafic to intermediate lapilli tuffs and agglomerates predominantly of the Toodoggone Formation but also of the Takla Group were intersected in all drillholes, from several drill programs. The Toodoggone volcanics are composed of fine to medium-grained, dark grey-green hornblende and feldspar porphyritic andesites and lesser dacites. Thin units of mudstone and siltstone are interbedded with Toodoggone volcanics. Alteration frequently consists of epidote-altered mafic phenocrysts and local strong silica and kaolin alteration, usually reflecting zones of shearing and/or faulting with accompanying quartz-chalcedony stockwork systems. Lithologies of the Toodoggone Formation are assigned to the Saunders Member. Variably silicified, dark green to black, fine-grained augite feldspar porphyritic andesites comprise Takla Group volcanics. Takla Group volcanics were intersected in drillholes Tak-88-5 and 88-3 only. A small quartz monzonite stock crops out about 150 metres to the northeast of the Takla prospect and is probably related to the nearby Black Lake stock situated 3.5 kilometres to the southwest.
The Takla prospect consists of a large area of quartz-chalcedony breccia and veinlets. Initial prospecting has indicated silicification over an area at least 200 metres long by 40 to 60 metres wide. The veins consist of colorless to white or light grey quartz and chalcedony striking northeast and east, with steep variable dips. Banding and cockscomb textures are common. Late-stage calcite occurs in the centre of some veins. Crosscutting textures indicate rebrecciation and silicification. The veins contain less than 1 to 10 per cent euhedral pyrite and boxwork limonite. Pyrite alteration is also evident in vein wallrocks. Minor amounts of chalcopyrite, galena and sphalerite occur in some veins. Epidote fracture fillings are extensive and common, forming a wide envelope around the quartz-chalcedony breccia zones. Intensive hematite alteration occurs in several places. Argillic alteration is also present.
Work History
The area was first staked by Emil Bronlund in 1950 with the discovery of gold-bearing quartz veins along the banks of Jock and Red creeks.
In 1968 and 1969, Kennco Explorations Ltd. completed programs or rock and soil sampling on the area as the Pillar No. 1 and 2 groups.
The Brenda claims were staked in 1980 for Canmine Development Company Inc. In 1981, Canmine carried out a program of geology and geophysics. In 1982 and 1983, Golden Rule Resources Ltd. completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and airborne geophysical surveys on the area as the Jock 1-5 claims. In 1984, hand trenching and prospecting was conducted. In 1985, Canmine optioned the property to Canasil Resources. Detailed mapping, geophysical surveys and soil sampling was conducted along Jock Creek. In 1987, trenching and geochemical surveys were completed in a joint venture with Cyprus Gold Canada Inc. Six grab samples from the Takla vein, located approximately 500 metres north-northeast, yielded values from 11.6 to 52.0 grams per tonne gold and 38.6 to 141.2 grams per tonne silver, while a float sample (55844) assayed 51.0 grams per tonne gold and 314.0 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 15555).
In 1988, an extensive drill program, consisting of a total of 792.68 metres in 8 holes, was conducted on the Takla prospect. The purpose of the program was to test the on-strike and downdip potential of strong anomalous gold and silver analytical results from rock samples on the surface of this zone, as well as a strong multipole induced polarization resistivity conductor. Surface sampling yielded a high of 0.215 gram per tonne gold and 1.3 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 18441). The highest drill core analytical results were obtained from drillholes Tak-88-7 and 88-8. Toodoggone volcanics in these two holes exhibited strong silica, argillic and pyrite alteration in a zone of quartz-chalcedony veining and brecciation. Aggregates of sphalerite and galena were observed in drill core from this zone. Assay results from drill core are as follows. Drillhole Tak-88-08 assayed 6.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.076 gram per tonne gold, 0.0052 per cent zinc and 0.0006 per cent lead over the interval 103.2 to 105.2 metres. Drillhole Tak-88-07 assayed 9.59 grams per tonne silver, 0.71 gram per tonne gold, 0.0053 per cent zinc and 0.0031 per cent lead over the interval 43.5 to 44.87 metres (Assessment Report 18441). Results from other drillholes were less anomalous, ranging from 1.3 to 4.3 grams per tonne silver and 0.106 to 0.745 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 18441).
In 1989, trenching and geophysical and geochemical surveys were completed on the Brenda property. A program of followup trenching was conducted in 1990 on the Creek zone, the White Pass east zone and the EB zone. In 1991, hand trenching and rock sampling were completed on the White Pass East zone, the EB zone and the Creek zone. A geochemical survey was completed on the White Pass East zone.
During 1993 through 1997, further programs of diamond drilling were performed on the Brenda property, primarily on the Brenda - White Pass (MINFILE 094E 147) zone.
In 2002, Northgate Minerals Corporation optioned the Brenda property from Canasil Resources Inc. A high-resolution airborne magnetic, radiometric and satellite imaging surveys followed by 1650 metres of diamond drilling in four holes on the Brenda - White Pass (MINFILE 094E 147) zone. In 2003, a program of rock and soil sampling and five diamond drill holes, totalling 1481.1 metres, were completed on the Brenda property. In 2004, a further five diamond drill holes, totalling 1445.7 metres were completed. After review of the 2004 data, Northgate returned the property to the vendor.
In 2007, Canasil Resources conducted a 32.2 line-kilometer 3D Induced Polarization survey and five bore holes, totalling 1708 metres, centered over the White Pass (MINFILE 094E 147) zone area.
In 2013, Canasil Resources Inc. completed a program of rock sampling and a lone drill hole, totalling 962.6 metres, on the Brenda property.
