The Belle occurrence is located on the western slopes of Mount Sicker, north of Nugget Creek. The occurrence lies approximately 1 kilometre to the north of the Lenora-Tyee volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit (MINFILE 092B 001) and is of related origin.

Regionally, the area is located within the Cowichan uplift and is underlain by andesitic to rhyolitic volcanics of the Middle to Upper Devonian McLaughlin Ridge and Myra Formations (Sicker Group). The local stratigraphy is disrupted by folding, faulting (pre-Triassic as well as Paleogene–Neogene), intrusions of gabbro and diabase sills and dikes (known as the Mount Hall gabbro) that are coeval with the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group).

In 1897, it was reported that two very large veins, 6 to 12 metres wide, occur approximately 30 metres apart in dioritic rock. No work was done on them at that time.

Later diamond drilling work, in 1980, was conducted in order to test a package of variably siliceous schists that originated as tuffs and flows and which are similar in nature to the package hosting the Lenora-Tyee deposit. The schists, locally chlorite- and sericite-altered, appear to form a south-dipping panel having a hangingwall and footwall of gabbro. North of the drillholes there is a transition to andesitic rock. Pyrite and chalcopyrite occur as disseminations or in association with quartz-calcite veins. It is common to see the sulphides concentrated along the schistosity as fine to coarse grains.

In 1980, diamond drilling yielded intercepts including: 3.16 per cent copper, 11.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.17 gram per tonne gold at a depth of 135.30 metres in hole SRM 15, whereas hole SRM 18 yielded an average grade of 0.37 per cent copper occurs over 4.6 metres (Assessment Report 8264).

In 2013, four chip samples (E512786, E512790 to E512791) taken along strike and across of a 0.4-metre wide zone of massive sulphides within a 5-metre wide zone of mineralization, located near the Mount Sicker Road in the Belle occurrence area, yielded an average of 0.23 gram per tonne gold, 3.0 gram per tonne silver, 0.39 per cent copper and 3.66 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 34604). The following year, a chip sample (PC-06) from a nearby outcrop of massive sulphides yielded 4.3 grams per tonne silver and 5.52 per cent zinc across 1.0 metre (Assessment Report 35316).

In 2020, three rock samples (VMS1, S-7 and S-10) of a foliated and bedded schist hosting 20 to 60 per cent sulphides comprised predominantly of pyrite and sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite from the Mount Sicker Road area yielded values from 6.34 to 11.20 per cent zinc, 0.29 to 2.00 per cent copper, trace to 4.5 gram per tonne silver and 0.24 to 0.40 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 39405).

Also at this time, two samples (S-3 and S-9) were taken a short distance further north along the road from an outcrop of semi-massive and stringers of pyrite with minor chalcopyrite in a schist, referred to as the All Metal zone, and yielded 0.65 and 1.97 per cent copper, 1.4 and 3.5 grams per tonne silver with 0.14 and 0.17 gram per tonne gold, respectively, whereas two nearby samples (S-11 and S-12) from mineralized float boulders assayed 21.02 and 0.48 per cent zinc, 2.22 and trace per cent lead, 0.89 and 10.35 per cent copper, 21 and 84.7 grams per tonne silver with 7.22 and 19.95 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 39405).

In 2021, four samples (three outcrop and one large float) from the Mount Sicker Road (VMS Zinc and All Metal) area, collected in 2013 and 2020, yielded from 0.22 to 0.46 per cent copper and 0.08 to 9.60 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 40298).

In 2022, drilling yielded 0.38 per cent copper, 8.45 per cent zinc, 3.7 grams per tonne silver and 0.19 gram per tonne gold over 4.25 metres in hole BD22-004 on the VMS zinc zone (Assessment Report 41178).

Approximately 270 metres north of the Belle occurrence and a short distance east of the Mount Sicker Road two short, 4- and 20-metre long, adits are reported to expose pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization. In 2020, a chip sample (S-2) from the longer adit assayed 0.65 per cent copper (Assessment Report 39405).

Approximately 350 metres southeast of the Belle occurrence and near the north bank of Nugget Creek a 37-metre long adit is reported to expose schists hosting disseminated to semi-massive chalcopyrite and pyrite mineralization. In 2020, a grab sample (S114) from the back of the adit yielded 19.99 per cent coper, 0.21 per cent zinc and 0.21 per cent lead, and four dump samples (S111 to S113 and S115) from the adit yielded from 1.37 to 12.54 per cent copper, 0.01 to 0.19 per cent zinc and 0.04 to 0.10 pe cent lead (Portable-XRF assays; Assessment Report 39405).

Work History

The area has been explored since the late 1890s with a number of short, 4- to 37-metre long, adits being developed.

In 1920, the Ladysmith Smelting Corp. reopened the historical workings and completed opencuts on the Belle, Seattle and Dunsmuir claims.

In 1972, Duncanex Resources completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and a 34.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the CF Group. In 1978, Union Miniere Exploration and Mining Corp. Ltd. conducted a soil sampling program on the area immediately north as the Twin E claim.

During 1978 through 1980, S.E.R.E.M. Limited completed programs of geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys and soil sampling on the surrounding area as the Rocky claims and Nugget Creek property. Also In 1980, Serem Limited drilled four diamond drill holes (SMR 15, 16, 17 and 18) on the occurrence.

In 1984, Falconbridge Copper completed a single diamond drill hole (MTS-1), totalling 175.6 metres, on the Seattle (L.57G) Crown-granted claim. In 1986, Falconbridge Copper completed a 23.3 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area. 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. A single drillhole (MTS44) was completed on the Belle claim but it failed to intercept any significant mineralization.

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. 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. In 2021 and 2022, Scenc Resources Corp. (later renamed Sasquatch 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.