The Baden Powell magnetite deposit occurs on the steep north eastern side of a mountain sloping down to Bugaboo Creek.

The area is underlain by a north west trending limestone roof pendant which intern is underlain by quartz diorite of the Mesozoic and/or Paleozoic Westcoast Complex.

The orebody is lenticular and outcrops along a north west trend for about 106 metres. The greatest exposed width is 27 metres and the greatest proven depth is 46 metres. The upper contact of the deposit is against quartz diorite; the dip of the contact is 50 degrees into the hill. The central part of the orebody is high-grade magnetite; the outer edges are mixed with metamorphosed rock and impregnated with pyrite.

Based on the apparent dimensions of the deposit, Young and Uglow made an estimate of the reserves: proven, 33,800 tonnes; probable, 56,000 tonnes. A sample of the higher grade part of the deposit graded 59.34 per cent iron, 5.93 per cent insolubles, 2.57 per cent sulphur, 0.012 per cent phosphorous and 1.14 per cent manganese oxide (Geological Survey of Canada Economic Geology Series No.3, page 185).

Work History

Two tunnels, 15 metres apart vertically, and numerous shallow open cuts were developed on the deposit in the early part of the century. The upper tunnel is 33 metres long, while the lower tunnel is 34 metres long.

In 2003 through 2011, Emerald Fields Resource and Pacific Iron Ore Corporation completed various exploration projects in the area as apart of the Pearson Project. These included prospecting, diamond drilling, ground and airborne geophysical surveys, geological mapping and geochemical sampling.