History

Historical Press and Reports

• Newspaper article from 1876 [JPG]
• Newspaper article from 1877 [JPG]
• Newspaper article from 1903 [JPG]
• Newspaper article from 1929 [JPG]

The Howe Copper Mine mineral deposits were first discovered by Alexander Donaldson in 1874, several tunnels and opencuts were constructed to investigate quartz vein structures prior to 1900. At present, only the location of one 30-meter long tunnel at Smithe Lake is positively known. The earliest geological maps presently available are those done by Josiah Jacques in 1881 and it has been stated that a small tonnage of bonanza-grade copper-silver-gold ore was shipped to Swansea, Wales about 1875.

Little additional work was done until the late 1920's when Pacific Copper Mines Ltd. Built a trail from the shoreline of Sechelt Inlet and constructed a camp near the mine. It was stated in newspaper reports of the day that previous development consisted of "about 300 feet of tunneling at different levels". An early type of geophysical survey known as "Radiore" was done over the property at this time.

In 1956, the Minex Development Company Ltd. Was formed to explore the property, rich asay values were quoted and a drill program proposed. During 1965 Bralorne-Pioneer Mines Ltd. Geologically mapped and sampled the mine area, concluding that the mineralization was locally very rich but no economic ore zones were defined. In 1967, Grasset Lake Mines Ltd. Drilled 5 diamond drill holes for a total of 2500 feet, on record of assays or geological information has been located.

During 1972, Athena Mines Ltd. flew an airborne geological survey over the property including 72 line-kilometers of magnetometer, EM and radioactivity. Seatac Resources Ltd. did some ground geophysical mapping from 1980 to 1983. Between 1988 and 1990, prospector Don Bragg investigated the property, sampling the copper mineralized areas and testing the industrialized mineral potential of the quartz and muscovite mica deposits. He concluded that the mica in particular could be developed into economic resource, based on extensive testing of a small bulk sample.