The Hope (Silver 1, Road, Zone 1) occurrence is located west of Humbird Creek, approximately 3.5 kilometres east-southeast of the Lara (MINFILE 092B 129) occurrence and has been explored in conjunction with it.

Regionally, the area is underlain by volcanic rocks of the Middel to Upper Devonian McLaughlin Ridge Formation (Sicker Group) intruded by gabbroic bodies (called the Mount Hall Gabbro) that are coeval with the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation, Vancouver Group. See the Lara (MINFILE 092B 129) occurrence for a larger discussion of the regional geology.

Mineralization consists of pyrite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite(?), and chalcopyrite in a narrow quartz vein. The vein occurs at the sheared contact between andesite-rhyolite tuffs and a gabbro sill. Disseminated pyrite also occurs along the foliation within volcanics. The zone has been tested intermittently by trenching and drilling over a strike length of approximately 1 kilometre and to a depth of 230 metres downdip from surface. The mineralized zone has been intersected over thicknesses of up to 6 metres but is generally weakly developed.

In 1981, three rock samples (81 BR-129 to 81 BR -131) from a roadcut exposure of mineralized baritic, felsic cherty tuff yielded from 0.20 to 0.21 per cent copper, 0.57 to 0.85 per cent lead, 0.70 to 1.77 per cent zinc, 1.84 to 2.12 per cent barium, 8.6 to 25.0 grams per tonne silver and 0.14 to 2.94 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 10116).

In 1982, a sample from a small lense of massive sulphides (sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite) in a siliceous gangue, approximately 0.10 metre wide, hosted in pyritic felsic tuffs and/or chlorite schist exposed in the south end of trench 82-19, located approximately 200 metres northwest of the road zone samples the previous year, yielded 3.46 per cent copper, 0.62 per cent lead, 10.83 per cent zinc, 305.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.17 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 11123). Rock chip sampling of the rest of the trench yielded anomalous values of copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold with gold averaging 0.74 gram per tonne over 23.4 metres (Assessment Report 11123).

In 1985, drill holes DDH-85-71 and DDH-85-72, located approximately 200 to 300 metres northwest of the main (Road) occurrence area, yielded intercepts of up to 0.32 per cent copper with 0.74 per cent zinc over 0.86 metres (0.51 metre true thickness; 172.99 to 173.85 metres down hole) and 0.42 per cent zinc over 1.16 metres (0.53 metre true thickness; 143.46 to 144.62 metres down hole), respectively (Assessment Report 14492).

In 2006, three grab samples (926 to 928) taken during a site visit yielded from 0.03 to 0.15 per cent zinc, 2.4 to 25.3 grams per tonne silver, 0.04 to 0.10 per cent copper, 0.01 to 0.015 per cent lead and 0.07 to 0.40 gram per tonne gold (Kelso, L. (2007-11-15): Independent Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimation – Lara Polymetallic Property).

In 2022, a rock sample (H619127) of quartz-carbonate-sulphide–altered mafic volcanic rock hosting disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite from the main (Road) occurrence area assayed 0.13 per cent copper, 4.1 grams per tonne silver and 0.141 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 41178).

Two other zones of minor mineralization are reported approximately 500 metres north-northwest and 450 metres northwest of the main (Road) zone occurrence. The first zone comprises a felsic package of rocks hosting minor sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. Drilling on this zone (holes 86-R100 and 86-R102) intercepted a relatively narrow quartz eye felsic section containing minor chalcopyrite and possible tetrahedrite. Drillhole 86-R100 yielded intercepts of up to 0.298 per cent copper over 1.41 metres (true thickness, 153.66 to 156.07 metres down hole), and drillhole 86-R102 yielded 0.351 per cent copper over 1.8 metres (137.90 to 139.70 metres down hole; Assessment Report 15737).

The second zone of mineralization, referred to as the Old Timer zone, comprises chalcopyrite in a pyritic quartz eye rhyolite tuff. The zone was intersected by hole 86-R106 at 97 metres downdip (101.17 to 101.79 metres down hole) with a 0.62-metre interval containing pyrite with minor sphalerite, chalcopyrite and trace tetrahedrite yielding 0.260 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 15737).

The 126 and 262 zones of the Lara (MINFILE 092B 129) occurrence are located approximately 1200 metres to the northeast and 1000 metres to the northwest of the main Hope (Road) occurrence area, respectively. See the Lara occurrence for a complete description of these zones.

Work History

A historical shaft, likely dating to the early 1900s, is reported to the east of the occurrence.

In 1966, Cominco Ltd. conducted an induced polarization survey on the area immediately north as the Tot-Rum property.

In 1977, BHP-Utah Mines conducted a program of geological mapping, soil sampling and a 3.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Hope claim. Also in 1977, Imperial Oil Ltd. completed a program of geochemical (silt and soil) sampling and a 30.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area immediately north as the Holy Group. In 1979 Union Mineire Exploration and Mining Corp. Ltd. completed a 6.8 line-kilometre ground magnetic and electromagnetic survey on the area as the Charity and Hope claims.

In 1981 and 1982, Laramide Resources Ltd. (later Aberford Resources Ltd.) conducted programs of trenching, geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, a 2.5 line-kilometre induced polarization survey, a 3.8 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and ground magnetic survey on the Silver 1 claim. In 1984, Aberford Resources conducted a program of trenching, a 22.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and six diamond drill holes (holes 84-1 to 84-6) on the occurrence area. No drill logs or assays of these holes were reported in Assessment Reports.

In 1985, Aberford Resources Ltd. completed three diamond drill holes, totalling 710 metres, on the Silver 1 claim. During 1986 through 1990, Laramide Resources and Abermin Corp. (later Minova Inc.) completed programs of diamond drilling, geological mapping and geochemical sampling on the area as part of the larger Lara Property. See the Lara (MINIFLE 092B 129) occurrence for a complete summary of the exploration programs conducted during this period. Also in 1990, Falconbridge Ltd. completed a four-hole diamond drilling program, totalling 1801.7 metres, on the Holyoak 1-3 and Brent 1 claims to the north.

In 1998, Nucanolan Resources, on the behalf of Laramide Resources, completed a program of ground magnetics and VLF-EM surveys over discrete sections of the Coronation and Coronation Zone Extension and 12 diamond drill holes, totalling 2550 metres, on the Laramide property. In 1999, Laramide Resources completed a 12-hole diamond drilling program, totalling 2550.5 metres, on the Laramide Property.

In 2006 and 2007, Laramide Resources, for Treasury Metals Inc., completed a program of comprehensive data compilation, airborne geophysical surveys, totalling 500.1-line kilometres and drillcore resampling on the Lara property. In 2009, Treasury Metals completed a program of structural mapping and whole rock geochemical sampling on the Lara property. In 2009, Treasury Metals completed a program of structural mapping and whole rock geochemical sampling on the Lara property. In 2014, Treasury Metals completed a further program of structural mapping, whole rock geochemical sampling and environmental baseline studies on the Lara property. In 2018, Treasury Metals conducted an airborne LiDAR survey covering 6388.0 hectares on the Lara property.

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 area as part of the Mount Sicker property.