The Independence 1 showing is located about 700 metres northeast of Fitzgerald Creek and approximately 1200 metres northwest of the Stewart highway, 14 kilometres north of Stewart. The Independence 1 claim was part of the Independence property which includes the new Big Casino claim (this claim is different from the Big Casino Crown-granted claim, 104A 034) and the four vein structures that occur on it (104A 038).

The area is underlain by north to northeast striking, steeply dipping andesitic tuffs of the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation (Hazelton Group) (Bulletin 58; 63).

Adit 5 is about 500 metres southeast of adit 1 (104A 038). The adit has been driven for 9 metres in sheared greenstone. A selected sample of sheared and silicified greenstone, mineralized with pyrite and chalcopyrite, assayed 7.78 grams per tonne gold and 40.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 15581). The mineralization is discontinuous with an average width of about 4 metres. The adit could not be found during the exploration in 1990 and 1991.

Work History

The area of the showing may have originally been covered by the Initial claim group (Geological Survey of Canada Map 28A), probably on the Big Casino (104A 038) claim to the north, located before 1913 (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 32, page 51). From about 1919, the showing was covered by the Independent and Independent 1-5 claims which were owned by the Fitzgerald brothers. In 1924, the Independence Gold Mining Company Ltd. was formed. Revenue Mining Company Ltd. acquired a majority interest in the company in 1926. A nine metre long exploration adit (No. 5 adit) was driven on the showing probably before 1929(?). Canex Aerial Exploration apparently did some work in the area in 1965; the results are not available. In 1980, Tournigan Mining Explorations Ltd. conducted geological mapping near the showing on the Independence property. In 1984, Tournigan conducted further geological mapping and stream sediment surveys in the area; no work was reported on the showing. In 1986, Moche Resources Inc. acquired the Rock of Ages group, including the Big Casino and Independence claims, and reported on the showing. The occurrence was included in the new Big Casino claim. That year Moche Resources flew a heli-borne VLF-EM and magnetometer survey over the area, carried out soil, silt and rock sampling and conducted geological mapping. Remington Creek Resources Inc. subsequently acquired the Independence-Big Casino property and entered into an agreement with Armeno Resources Inc.-Armenex Resources Canada Inc. in 1990. Further exploration work was conducted in 1990. Armenex drilled 11 holes, mapped and sampled the area in 1991, primarily on the Big Casino claim (104A 038) to the north. In 2017, Richard Billingsley completed an airborne magnetic survey on the area. In 2019, AUX Resources Corp. completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and rock sampling on the area as the Independence and Slippery Ian properties.