The Victoria property is located on the northwest side of Rocher Deboule Mountain, 8 kilometres south of South Hazelton. Between 1926 and 1940, 51 tonnes produced 7 710 kilograms of arsenic, 7 341 grams of gold and 785 kilograms of cobalt.

Hornfelsic greywackes and siltstones of the Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bowser Lake Group are intruded by the Rocher Deboule porphyritic granodiorite stock of the Late Cretaceous Bulkley Plutionic Suite. The stock is cut by vein/dike systems which follow east trending fractures.

The Victoria deposit consists of three parallel vein structures (Victoria #1, #2 and #3), 200 to 300 metres apart, which strike 085 degrees and dip 60 degrees north, and a small cross-vein which strikes northward and dips 50 degrees east. However, work reported in 2011 that prospecting suggests there may be a well-mineralized, parallel, unexplored vein, Victoria #0, a short distance to the north and a mineralized shear, Victoria #4, further south (Assessment Report 33297, page 33).

The No. 1 vein follows a dark grey, fine-grained diorite dike and averages 0.5 metre wide, is up to 450 metres along strike, and is 300 metres in vertical extent. It is open to the east and at depth. The No. 2 vein follows a feldspar porphyry dike and is 10 metres wide and up to 800 metres long. The No. 3 vein is up to 723 metres long and is intersected by a cross-vein containing galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite, arsenopyrite, safflorite and pyrite.

The vein material consists of an assemblage of gold-bearing cobalt-nickel sulpharsenides with minor molybdenite in a gangue of actinolite with glassy quartz and feldspar. Additional minerals include uraninite, apatite, sphene, allanite, erythrite, cobaltite, d rare scapolite and possibly autunite.

A 10-centimetre sample taken in 1940 assayed 270 grams per tonne gold, 37.7 grams per tonne silver, 5.9 per cent cobalt, 0.81 per cent molybdenum, 2.8 per cent nickel and 0.64 per cent equivalent uranium (Bulletin 43). Samples taken in 1950 on the No. 1 and No. 2 veins assayed 47.3 grams per tonne gold, 0.90 per cent cobalt, and 0.16 per cent equivalent uranium across 0.85 metre, and 143.3 grams per tonne gold, 2.05 per cent cobalt and 0.59 per cent equivalent uranium from a veinlet sample, respectively (Geological Survey of Canada Economic Geology 16). A 1983 sample on the No. 2 vein assayed 23.32 grams per tonne gold and 0.0063 per cent arsenic over 0.5 metre (Assessment Report 11019).

In 1987, Southern Gold Resources Limited identified, an untested, coincidental geophysical and geochemical anomaly associated with a possible easterly extension of the No. 1 vein. Further work was performed on the Roche Deboule property (see 093M 071).

Unclassified reserves at Victoria are 1000 tonnes grading 2.84 grams per tonne silver, 42.55 grams per tonne gold and 2 per cent cobalt (CIM Special Volume 37, page 186).

Ameridex reported in 2002 that the Victoria vein exhibits continuity over a distance of 305 metres horizontally and vertically.

Work History

The name (Victoria) applied to the property has varied with ownership, some using the name Hazelton View, however, the Victoria was the first claim located and practically all of the underground workings are on that claim. The Rocher Deboule property adjoins to the southeast.

New Hazelton Gold-Cobalt Mines, Limited was incorporated in June 1916 to acquire 8 claims variously named the Victoria, Hazelton View or Indian groups. Development work began in open cuts on No. 1 vein. A 305-metre aerial tramway was installed in 1917 and some ore was shipped the following year. The 8 claims, the Hazelton View, Lead Pick, Moose, Elk, Victoria, Belle, View Fr., and Belle Fr. (Lots 3299-3306 respectively) were Crown-granted to the company in 1917. The No. 1 drift adit (elev. 1679 metres) was extended to 217 metres in 1918. At 113 metres from the portal a 60-degree raise was driven 27.4 metres, and from that point a drift was run 26 metres westerly. The No. 2 adit (elev. 1605 metres) was begun in 1918 and driven as a crosscut for 23 metres to the vein, which was drifted on for 45.7 metres. In subsequent years No. 2 adit was extended to a length of 165 metres.

During the summer of 1918 some work was done on the more southerly claims, to prospect for the extensions of the gold-copper veins on the adjacent Rocher Deboule property. A crosscut was driven 7.6 metres and about 300 metres of drifting was done along the supposed strike of one of the veins. Work on the property was discontinued later in the year. Adjacent claims surrounding the Victoria group on 3 sides, and including the Homestake, Tiger, etc. (Lots 3307-3316), were Crown-granted in 1918 to The Cats Mining Company, Limited. The only work reported is a 30 metre adit on the Homestake-Tiger boundary.

New Hazelton Gold-Cobalt reopened the mine in 1925. A new drift adit No.00 adit, (elev. 1795 metres) was driven about 46 metres on No. 1 vein and some ore was shipped. Due to financial difficulties the company mortgaged the property in 1926 and the mortgagee's interest was transferred to a share interest in a new company, Aurimont Mines, Limited which was incorporated in August 1927. During 1928 the aerial tramway was extended to a length of 580 metres and some ore was shipped. Development work was done in the No.00 adit, which was extended to a length of 52 metres. The mine closed in the latter part of the year.

During subsequent years some of the claims reverted to the Crown. Three of the Crown-grants, the Victoria, Belle, and Belle Fr. were retained by R.C. McCorkell. During 1940 the claims were under lease to Jack Lee and A.S. Barker of Hazelton. Some mining was carried out and small lots of ore were shipped in 1940 and 1941 to the Government Sampling Plant at Prince Rupert.

In 1948 it was recognized that the ore in these veins contained uranium.

Western Uranium Cobalt Mines, Limited was incorporated in June 1949 to acquire the property, in part under option from McCorkell and as Mineral Leases from the Government. The Homestake and Tiger claims, formerly held by Cats Mining and in 1949 held as mineral leases by George Royles of Prince Rupert, were purchased by the company. During 1949 the 00 adit was extended to a total length of 65 metres. A new lower crosscut, No. 3 adit, (elev. 1570 metres) was begun during 1949 and was advanced 69 metres to the vein, which was drifted on for 6.7 metres. The mine closed in the fall of 1950. Total development work to that date comprised about 567 metres of drifts, crosscuts, and a raise in 4 main adits, the 00, 1, 2, and 3. The workings on the No. 1 vein extend from the lowest adit (No. 3) at an elevation of 1576 metres to the highest adit (No. 00) at approximately 1799 metres and the No. 1 open cut on the ridge at 1860 metres. Open cuts No. 2 and No. 4 are further east on the serrated ridge top. Workings on No. 2 and No. 3 veins consist of a few open cuts.

Rocher Deboule Mountain Mines Ltd in 1952 carried out diamond drilling on the Moose, Elk, and Lead Pick claims to test for the westward extension of the copper-gold veins of the Rocher Deboule property.

In 1975 the Crown-grants were owned by W. McGowan and J.M. Hutter, of Telkwa. Work during 1975-76 included re-opening the workings, underground geological mapping and sampling, and road construction. In 1978, J. Hutter Jr. rehabilitated two adits. The property was then leased to Arbor Resources Inc and unspecified work was reported in 1979.

In 1982-1983, on adjacent ground to that of Arbor, on one of the veins, D. Groot Logging carried out geological mapping, sampling, and 385 metres of diamond drilling in 3 holes.

In 1986, reserves were reported as 1 000 tonnes at 42.55 grams per tonne gold, 2.84 grams per tonne silver, and 2 per cent cobalt (Preliminary Map 65, BC Department of Mines, 1986).

In 1987, Southern Gold Resources Limited identified, an untested, coincidental geophysical and geochemical anomaly associated with a possible easterly extension of the No. 1 vein.

In 1990 (George Cross Newsletter 1990) International Kengate Ventures Inc reported the No. 2 Porphyry Zone about 366 metres to the north of the Rocher Deboule mine (as reported in Assessment Report 29338). It is thought that this zone may be the area of the No. 2 vein at the Victoria mine. This porphyry zone is reported as a hydrothermal zone that has “estimated” dimensions of 762 metres length, 610 metres in depth and 12.2 metres in width. Mineralization is reported from a surface trench that yielded values as high as 30.5 grams per tonne gold and 0.35 per cent cobalt (as reported in Assessment Report 29338).

In 2002, Ameridex Corp conducted geological surveying and geochemical rock and stream sediment sampling on the Rocher Deboule and Victoria mines on their RD claims (Assessment Report 26984).

In 2004, Ameridex Corp conducted work on several locations but apparently not on the Victoria (Assessment Report 27558).

In March 2007, Rocher DeBoule Minerals Corp contracted Fugro Airborne Survey Corporation to complete a Dighem electromagnetic, magnetic, radiometric geophysical survey over the Rocher Deboule property in a survey block amounting to 1089-line kilometres. Assessment Report 29338). The company also conducted limited prospecting and rock and soil sampling and diamond core drilling program of 1106.1 meters over 6 drill holes on the Highland Boy Showing (093M 070). Two grab samples (RED07-006 and -007) from the Victoria adit assayed 26.64 and 41.99 grams per tonne gold, 1.0 and 1.1 per cent cobalt and 0.167 and 0.199 per cent nickel, respectively (Burgoyne, A.A., Kikauka, A. (2007-12-18): Technical Report on the Rocher Deboule Property).

In 2011, American Manganese Inc carried out a program that entailed 22 kilometres of ground magnetometer survey, 841 soil samples, 455 rock samples and 68 silt samples. The most significant soil sample returned 8650 parts per billion gold, 72.4 parts per million silver, 0.58 per cent copper, 1.31 per cent arsenic and 20.09 per cent iron (V STOCKWATCH, November 20, 2012; Assessment Report 33297). At this time, the Rocher Deboule property consisted of 35 tenures, covering an aggregate of 9,937 hectares. These tenures contained three small, past-producing mines and five significant prospects including: Highland Boy (093M 070), Rocher Deboule (093M 071), Victoria (093M 072), Great Ohio (093M069), Cap (093M073), Golden Wonder (093M074), Three Hills (093M075) and Daley West (093M053). Sampling and geological work was done in the Victoria Mine area in 2011.

See Rocher Deboule (093M 071) for related details of work done on the Rocher Deboule property of American Manganese, of which the Victoria was part of in the late 2000s.

Also refer to the new "Hazelton View" MINFILE occurrence, just south of the Victoria area, which was described by American Manganese in 2011. In 2012, American Manganese Inc. completed a minor program of rock and soil sampling on the area.

During 2016 through 2019, American Manganese Inc. completed further programs of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling and 10.2 line-kilometres of ground magnetic surveys on the area as the Rocher Deboule property. Also, in 2017 and 2018, Primary Energy Metals Inc. completed programs of geological mapping and geochemical (rock, soil and stream sediment) sampling on the area as the Golden Wonder property.