The Victoria past-producer is located on the east bank of the Chemainus River, west of, and along the strike of, the Lenora-Tyee volcanogenic massive sulphide past-producers on Mount Sicker (see MINFILE 92B 001).

The occurrence is located within the Cowichan uplift, one of three geo-anticlinal uplifts that expose rocks of the Paleozoic Sicker and Buttle Lake groups on Vancouver Island. Cretaceous sediments of the Nanaimo Group unconformably overly the Paleozoic rocks; the contact is marked by a basal conglomerate containing volcanic fragments derived from the Sicker Group. The local stratigraphy is disrupted by folding, faulting (pre-Triassic as well as Paleogene–Neogene) and the intrusions of gabbro and diabase sills and dikes (known as the Mount Hall Gabbro) that are coeval with the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation.

The Sicker Group rocks mainly comprise felsic volcanic tuffs of the Middle to Upper Devonian McLaughlin Ridge Formation. The rocks in the mine, and nearby, include graphitic schists and cherty sediments and tuffs which form a band within the rhyolitic volcanics. This is the same band of sediments which hosts the massive sulphides of the Lenora-Tyee deposit to the east. The strike of the sediments along the Chemainus River is approximately 080 degrees and the dip is 70 degrees south.

On the property a tunnel has been driven in for 46 metres at 110 degrees. From the end of the tunnel a crosscut has been run to the south for approximately 8 metres ending in diorite. Another crosscut was made to the north for approximately 11 metres in the schist, of which approximately 3 metres is mineralized with pyrite and chalcopyrite. A sample of this assayed 17.1 grams per tonne silver and trace copper and gold (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1902, page 253). On the steep banks of the river, outcrops of massive iron sulphides with a small amount of copper were exposed and tested by adits. Small pits have exposed quartz veins and stringers up to 75 centimetres wide mineralized with iron sulphides and chalcopyrite.

The mine has a combined production from 1904, 1905 and 1907 totalling 115 tonnes of ore, from which 124 grams of gold, 3452 grams of silver and 4346 kilograms of copper was recovered (Mineral Policy data).

Work History

In 1903, the area was held by Mount Sicker and Brenton Mines Ltd. who are reported to have conducted extensive work on the Victoria and Copper Canyon claims. An approximately 45.7-metre long tunnel or adit with two short crosscuts are reported to have been developed by this time.

In 1971, a program of soil sampling and ground geophysical (electromagnetic, magnetic, induced polarization and seismic) surveys were completed on the Victoria, Elmore, Copper Canion, Susan and Klondyke claims. In 1972, Duncanex Resources completed a program of prospecting, line-cutting, geological mapping and a 34.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the surrounding area as the CF Group and Dawn claims. In 1973, Viva Ventures conducted a program of geological mapping, soil sampling and ground geophysical (electromagnetic [VLF], gravity, induced polarization, magnetic, self potential and seismic) surveys on the Copper Canyon property. In 1977, John Deighton conducted a minor program of geological mapping and geochemical (silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Elmore Fraction, Susan and Victoria claims. In 1978, a program of geological mapping and a 3.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey was completed on the area as the Coppermint property. In 1979, Union Mineire Exploration and Mining Corp. Ltd. completed a program of soil sampling and a 6.8 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the Charity property. Also during 1978 through 1980, S.E.R.E.M. Limited completed programs of geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys and soil sampling on the area immediately east as the Rocky claims.

During 1987 through 1990, Minnova completed programs of geochemical sampling and at least 24 diamond drill holes, totalling 6319.7 metres, on the area as the Mount Sicker and Twin properties. In 1988, four diamond drill holes (CM-7, -8, -9, -10) were completed on the Victoria claim.

In 2008, Westridge Resources completed a 440.3 line-kilometre airborne geophysical (magnetic and electromagnetic) survey on the area as part of the Fortuna property.

In 2010 and 2011, Rock-Con Resources completed a program of prospecting and rock sampling on the Mount Sicker property. Two chip samples (1E and 2E), taken near the mouth of the adit from a 2.4-metre wide mineralized zone, yielded 16.9 and 10.9 grams per tonne silver with 5.61 and 3.42 per cent copper over 0.6 metre, respectively, and a chip sample (5E) from a quartz vein exposed near the river yielded 1.55 per cent copper and 7.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 32278).

In 2013 and 2014, Conarry Ventures Inc. conducted programs of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Mount Sicker property.

In 2020, 911 Mining Co. conducted a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling on the area as the Mount Sicker property. A chip sample (S-4) from the Victoria adit vein, taken approximately 10 metres from the adit portal, assayed 0.14 per cent zinc, 19.15 per cent copper, 28.3 grams per tonne silver and 0.13 gram per tonne gold over 1.0 metre (Assessment Report 39405). Also at this time, four other rock and chip samples (S-14 to S-17) of mineralized quartz veins hosted in schist, taken from the east bank of the Chemainus River and approximately 200 to 250 metres south of the Victoria workings, yielded from 0.12 to 8.23 per cent copper with 0.01 to 0.23 per cent zinc (Portable XRF assays; Assessment Report 39405).

In 2021 and 2022, Scenc Resources Corp. completed a minor program of geological mapping, rock sampling, a 1.8 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and four backpack drill holes, totalling 14.9 metres, on the Mount Sicker property. Later in 2022, Sasquatch Resources Corp. completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping, drillcore and rock sampling and a 418.2 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic survey on the Mount Sicker property.