The Bracebridge occurrences are located on the north side of St. Mary River and extend from approximately 1300 to 2300 metres elevation, between Office and Morris creeks and approximately 40.2 kilometres west-northwest of Kimberley. The main workings are reported to be located at approximately 1800 metres elevation.
Regionally, the area is underlain by undivided sedimentary rocks of the Mesoproterozoic Dutch Creek and Creston formations and dolomitic carbonate rocks Mesoproterozoic Kitchener Formation, all of the Purcell Supergroup. To the west, the sedimentary rocks have been intruded by a body of Cretaceous granodioritic intrusive.
Locally, chalcopyrite ± pyrite ± pyrrhotite mineralization is associated with limonite-chlorite–altered quartz-siderite veins in strongly contorted biotite schists and/or schistose dolomitic argillites and sericite-altered phyllites in an approximately 60-metre wide deformation zone. Trace covellite and bornite are also reported. The veins are typically less than 1.2 metres wide, but can form lenses up to 4.5 metres wide where folded. The veins are parallel to strongly developed foliation that trends 018 to 314 degrees and dips 35 to 68 degrees. The mineralized zone has been intermittently traced from the lower slopes north of the St. Mary River to near the peak of the mountain approximately 1.9 kilometres to the north.
To the west, on Office Creek, float containing quartz ± carbonate veins hosting pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± galena ± sphalerite ± pyrrhotite mineralization are reported.
Work History
The occurrence was discovered in 1895 by T.H. and Dora Wright. The Bracebridge group of six claims, the Bracebridge, Gracie, Denbigh, Regina, Snowden, and Brace Bridge Fr (Lots 5037, 5575–5579, respectively), was surveyed in 1901. In 1903, Crown grants were issued to J.H. Wright, O.H. Burden & Associates for the Bracebridge, Regina and Denbigh claims. The occurrence had originally been exposed by erosion. Work to 1904 included opencuts on the Bracebridge claim and apparently some underground work in two adits on the Regina claim. One of the adits is reported to have been driven east for 24.4 metres through quartz-sericite schist but failed to intersect the copper mineralization.
The Joe and Goat groups comprising 22 recorded claims were under option to Cominco Ltd. in 1966. Diamond drilling totalled 200.5 metres in six holes. The option was relinquished later in the year. All holes are reported to have intersected copper values varying from 0.20 to 3.30 per cent copper over widths of 1.5 to 6.9 metres, with the best intersection yielding 1.40 per cent copper over 29.7 metres, including 3.30 per cent copper over 4.4 metres in hole DDH 1A (Assessment Report 6206). These holes were drilled on the main zone of mineralization located at approximately 1800 metres elevation. Also at this time, sampling of trench 3A is reported to have yielded 0.40 per cent copper over 10.7 metres (Assessment Report 6206).
Pharaoh Mines Ltd. optioned the Joe, Goat and Don groups comprising 12 recorded claims from D.C. Jackson late in 1967. Work during the year included bulldozer trenching, sampling and percussion drilling in four 12.1-metre holes. Sampling of trenches 2A, 3A and 5A is reported to have yielded values of 2.09, 1.61 and 2.28 per cent copper with 25.7, 69.3 and 73.4 grams per tonne silver over 21.3, 9.1 and 12.2 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 6206). Also at this time, percussion drilling, located at an elevation of approximately 1300 metres and approximately 950 metres south of the 1966 Cominco drillholes, yielded intercepts including 0.92 and 0.85 per cent copper with 6.2 and 12.0 grams per tonne silver over 12.2 and 9.1 metres in hole S-2 and S-4, respectively (Assessment Report 6206).
In 1973, the Bracebridge property was examined by Cream Silver Mines Ltd.
In 1976, Meridian Resources Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, trenching a 16.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Brace Bridge property. Sampling of trenches yielded values of 0.83 per cent copper with 23.3 grams per tonne silver over 5.5 metres from a 1.2-metre wide quartz vein that has been repeatedly folded in trench 1, 2.29 per cent copper with 17.2 grams per tonne silver over 4.5 metres in trench 6 and 0.93 to 4.40 per cent copper with 2.7 to 35.7 grams per tonne silver over widths of 7.0 to 1.1 metres, respectively, in trench 7 (Assessment Report 6206). Trenches 6 and 7 are reported to have been located near the historical (1966) drillhole 1A.
Meridian Resources Ltd. optioned the Joe 1 & 2 and Don 1 & 2 claims from D.C. Jackson and staked approximately 30 adjacent claims in the Joe, Winnie, Vera and Silvertip groups. A geochemical soil survey was carried out in 1977.
In 1985, two diamond drill holes, totalling 29.3 metres, were completed on the north side of the St. Mary River at an elevation of approximately 1310 metres. No assays were reported from the holes, but hole V1 was visually estimated to contain 0.8 per cent copper over 1.2 metres (Assessment Report 14750).
In 1987 and 1988, South Kootenay Goldfields Inc. prospected the area as the Copper 1-2 claims of the Enterprise property. In 1990, a 2.4 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey was conducted on the lower slopes of the Bracebridge property.
In 1994, Pacific Mariner Explorations Ltd. conducted a program of prospecting, geological mapping, soil sampling and a 5.4 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the Welcome property. In 1996, Pacific Mariner Explorations Ltd. completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 306.3 metres on the property.
In 2007, Ruby Red Resources Inc. prospected and rock sampled the area as the Bracebridge property. Rock samples (BB-22 through BB-27) from a zone of tightly folded phyllites with quartz veining hosting massive chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralization with malachite, azurite and carbonate alteration exposed in the main workings yielded values from 0.03 to 0.26 gram per tonne gold, 27.8 to greater than 100 grams per tonne silver and all greater than 1.00 per cent copper, whereas a float sample (BB-11) of quartz vein hosting pyrite-chalcopyrite, taken below the historical workings, assayed 35.41 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 30297). Also at this time, float samples (BB-14 through BB-21) of quartz ± carbonate veins hosting pyrite ± chalcopyrite ± galena ± sphalerite ± pyrrhotite mineralization from Office Creek, to the west, yielded values from trace to 0.81 per cent copper, trace to greater than 1.00 per cent zinc and lead, 1.6 to greater than 100 grams per tonne silver and trace to 0.47 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 30297).
In 2012, Rokmaster Resources Corp. completed a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Big Copper property. Three samples (BC12-01 to -03) of mineralized float and vein outcrop from the area of the lower (1967) drill site yielded values from 0.14 to 0.43 gram per tonne gold, 62.3 to 117 grams per tonne silver and 2.33 to 3.85 per cent copper, and a chip sample (BC12A-02), located at approximately 1600 metres elevation, assayed 1.02 per cent copper and 20.2 grams per tonne silver over 1.8 metres (Assessment Report 33347). Also at this time, four chip and grab samples (BC12A-03 to -06) from elevations of 1749 to 1840 metres near the main zone yielded values from 1.36 to 3.18 per cent copper with 20.0 to 49.6 grams per tonne silver over widths of up to 1.0 metre (Assessment Report 33347).
In 2021 and 2022, Rokmaster Resources Corp. conducted a minor program of rock sampling petrographic analysis on the property. A chip sample (P3040118) from the main workings area assayed 0.88 per cent copper and 34 grams per tonne silver over 1.1 metres, and three nearby grab samples (P304017, P310220 and P304022) of quartz-siderite-pyrite-chalcopyrite veins hosted in the deformation zone yielded values from 2.66 to 12.56 per cent copper with 72 to 147 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 40118). Also at this time, a chip sample (P304020) of quartz-siderite chalcopyrite veins hosted in a sericite-altered phyllite from the lower historical drill site yielded 1.81 per cent copper and 31.0 grams per tonne silver over 1.30 metres, and a nearby grab sample (P304019) assayed 2.93 per cent copper and 128 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 40118).
Also in 2021 and 2022, DLP Resources Inc. conducted programs of prospecting, rock sampling and a 233.7 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the Hungry Creek property.
In 2023, Rokmaster Resources Corp. completed a minor program of prospecting and geochemical (soil and rock) sampling on the Big Copper property. Three samples (4061328, P304660 and 4060465) from historical trench 7 yielded from 1.53 to 4.89 per cent copper with 12.1 to 92.7 grams per tonne silver, and a sample (4060468) from historical trench 4 assayed 1.02 per cent copper and 57.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 42035).
In 2024 DLP Resources Inc. conducted a regional reconnaissance prospecting program on the Hungry Creek property.
