Gold Occurrences in Ontario

Kidd Creek Mine in Timmins Ontario   P199

The City of Timmins lies about 600 miles north of New York City it is common knowledge to most Americans that the Gold Rush happened in California in 1849, but a far larger gold rush occurred in Porcupine Ontario fifty years later.  Porcupine was later incorporated into the Township of Timmins, but Porcupine still exists complete with a Tim Horton’s shop.  One of the mines, the Dome Mine is still producing gold over a century later from a vast open-pit mine.  The other mines are now closed, but in West Timmins they have recently discovered one of the largest gold deposits of the past century.  It appears they haven’t written the last chapter in the book about Timmins Gold.

Most of the gold found in Ontario is found in the so-called Greenstone Belts the largest of which is the Abitibi reaching all the way from Wawa on Lake Superior into Quebec past Val D’or.  From this one Greenstone Belt there are more then 160,000,000 ounces of gold that have been mined since its discovery in 1909.  This is only one of several Greenstone Belts in the province that has produced gold. 

Gold bearing belts are found in several other localities in Northern Ontario with other notable occurrences at Cochrane, Red Lake, Hemlo, Marathon and so many other places that prospecting for gold in Ontario is practically the same thing as carrying coals to Newcastle. Many of the VMS mines in Ontario produce gold as a byproduct.  One example of this kind of deposit is found in the Kidd Creek Mine to the east of Timmins that was the site of a famous discovery in 1963.  Most of the gold that has been found in Ontario is from hard-rock deposits.

Somebody has said that there has never been a single nugget of placer gold that has been found in the province.  According to an open file report by the Ontario Geological Survey there appears to be a considerable amount of float gold present in the glacial drift of Ontario.  It is probable that placer deposits have not had enough time to develop since the glacier melted.  At any rate the report covers about two hundred pages listing all kinds of places where placer gold and indicator minerals for kimberlites have been found in Ontario.  You can access this document online by going here.

According to the author’s prospecting friends in Ontario all the prospecting done in the province is in hard rock. With the amount of gold that has been discovered that really makes sense. It could be possible that what has worked in the past will work in the future. The possibility of placer mining has not happened because of the scarcity of alluvial gold. Although the Abitibi region of Ontario holds many lode mines, placer deposits are practically non-existent. The glaciers of the past million years took the gold laden soil south and deposited it in states across the American mid-west. These are from New York to Illinois.

Most of the gold of Ontario is found associated with the greenstone belts of the Abitibi and Superior Provinces that span the whole province from Manitoba to Quebec. It is thought that the gold was mobilized from the greenstones that are metamorphosed basalts by hot water. It was deposited in quartz veins that are often found near fault systems.

Another place that gold is found in Ontario is in beds of ancient conglomerate. An example of this type is a large piece of conglomerate on display on the lawn of the library in Timmins. This is probably an ancient placer deposit that has been fossilized. The stones in this piece show little or no sign of having been metamorphosed. It is an example of an Archean sedimentary rock.

Some of the other regions of Ontario that have produced gold is the area around Wawa and Marathon. The Western part of the province is also promising country to prospect. Prospecting in Ontario is not just limited to looking for gold. There is at least one active diamond mine in the James Bay Lowlands, as well as diamond bearing kimberlites found in several places in the province.

Diamonds are often found in the same rivers and streams that carry gold in their sand and gravel deposits. The largest diamond that was ever found in North America was found in a placer deposit.

There are plenty of other minerals that can be found in Ontario as well. These minerals might not be as glamorous as searching for gold, but in many ways they are more important in the modern world. Among them are copper, lead, zinc, nickel, iron, lithium, beryllium, niobium, tantalum and the rare earth elements. The platinum group metals are often found associated with copper, cobalt and nickel.

If there is anyplace where people have looked in Ontario for mineral wealth they have found it. The province maintains a very active geological survey that holds vast amounts of knowledge concerning the mineral wealth of Ontario.

The Tools of the Trade by Raymond Kukkee, Prospector

Prospecting country in Northern Ontario this is a photo of Kakabeka Falls called the Niagara of Canada.  Ray lives in the town of  Kakabeka Falls, Ontario.
Photo by Hans Jurgen-Hubner

Raymond Kukkee has been a hard-rock prospector in Northern Ontario for over thirty years, and the following article is built on his experiences while prospecting. 

What you should take with you on a prospecting outing is always a good question. It's always better to have something and NOT need it, than to be 60 miles out on the trail wishing you did bring it along.
    
 Here's a list of what I usually take along on my day trips.  Remember I 'm going out in my truck and might be  dragging  a 4WD Quad along to save the feet too!

Even for a 2 hour walking trip, I take most of  the following tools and other helpful items,  but once out in the field  at times,  I may leave some  items  in the truck, depending on the outing:


•    A jeweler's loupe,  I use a 25x triplet
•    Topographic  and geology maps of area to be explored
•    Prospector's license*
•    Pad and pencils. Take extra pencils, they get lost easily. A compact  waterproof paper notebook is handy
•    A compass  (liquid-filled, good quality)  I use a Silva  or Brunton surveying type  c/w signaling mirror
•    A GPS unit capable of mapping,  projecting and tracking way points.    My present GPS is a Garmin GPSmap76CX, which is reliable and runs for a couple of days on 2 AA batteries.
•    Safety glasses for bashing rocks.  We only have ONE set of eyes so take care of them!
•     A compact first aid kit
•    A belt-carried hunting knife -6"   and / or a multi-tool type belt knife
•    A prospecting "pick" hammer. (In this area we have a special tool called a "Tweedie" tool named after Ron Tweedie, the inventor and maker.  It is a 36" short-handled   hammer with a 3" flat blade opposite that can be used both  for whacking rocks and grubbing, to remove moss/dirt for stripping.  (In prospecting that is convenient, it saves you bringing along a wide pick.)   At times it might be the only hammer you carry.
•    A sharp cold chisel  ½" x 12" long
•    A 4-lb short- steel- handled  "crack hammer"  unbreakable (Estwing) for serious sample removal.
•    Some paper to wrap special delicate specimens
•    Plastic sample bags 6-10  mil  8x14"  are good,  but  you can use recycled plastic bags of any type. I take along heavy recycled 1-liter plastic milk bags when available.*
•    A red or orange wax pencil for marking stakes or posts.
•    Fluorescent flagging tape to mark sample locations
•    A black marker to write ON the flagging tape
•    A short-handled ox-head axe--for cutting claim posts.   If cutting claim lines, I also  take along a
•    Swedish brush axe which is the bow design.
•    A folding shovel for the back pack, and a long-handled shovel for the truck.
•    A very compact emergency 3"x4"x 2"fishing outfit, a few hooks, line, sinkers, and a small lure.   Maybe a small collapsible fishing rod!
•    Wide-brimmed floppy hat that will cover the ears.
•    Full face mosquito net that fits over the floppy hat for extreme insect conditions.
•    Fly dope.   Various types, it must work on blackflies, mosquitoes, and deer flies.  But is generally USELESS for those tiny noseeum sandflies in hot weather
•    Extra socks to keep the feet dry.
•    Heavy boots that have high ankle protection. Waterproof boots are best
•    Rain gear--lightweight rubber but full body coverage including a hood--or the  Gortex type
•    Long-legged pants,  NOT shorts.
•    Long-sleeved shirt and jacket
•    Leather gloves, or good quality cotton gloves with leather facing
•    Eye-glasses.  I always take a spare pair!
•    Sunglasses
•    Sunscreen: 40SPF minimum.
•    A compact, folding dome tent.
•    In some areas, a snake bite kit is a good idea.
•    For SOME locations, belt-carried  Bear pepper spray is important.
•    Aspirin or Tylenol.
•    Medications if you need them.
•    Drinking WATER:  NEVER  allow yourself to become dehydrated.
•    Matches. Use safety matches, protected to keep dry, or bring along a Fire Starter (magnesium) bar.
•    Food:
•    Dry Trail mix for snacks.   Oranges are good too, and keep well
•    Lunch!    The best part of prospecting out in the bush!  I almost always take cheese sandwiches going on day trips into remote areas.    Take food that will still be good for a week even if it's squashed, melted, or beaten up. Dehydrated type foods are good for long trips too.
•    **  NOTE:   NEVER take meat sandwiches or chicken with mayonnaise out into hot weather, they can be unsafe to eat after a few hours in summer heat!
•    Hot Coffee or Tea in a thermos for cold days.
•    A small single-burner propane stove can be handy!
 
    
I guess that’s about all you  can carry, but then there’s a spare key for the vehicle,  spare gasoline, a couple of quarts of oil, some tools, a Jack-all, a couple of spare tires, and walkie-talkies if you have them.

Don’t forget that 8-lb sledgehammer for serious work, a compact bow saw for firewood -- and your driver’s license.

I guess that’s about all you should need at this point.   I hope you’re having FUN!  If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know!     Stay safe!

Raymond  

* Needed in Canada!

Detrital Gold Deposits

Maybe you have heard of the Witwatersrand in South Africa if you haven't yet is the world's largest deposits of gold that since its discovery in 1886 has produced over 40% of the total gold supply ever mined in the world. This makes it the most glaring example of a detrital gold deposit in the world. The type of rock hosting this vast deposit is conglomerate that until about a year ago the source of its gold was unknown. By working with an isotope of iridium a team of geologists was able to pinpoint the source of this gold In eroded highlands delayed to the north.

Conglomerate the gold in this rock is usually found in the cement holding the pebbles together.
Photo by Hannes Grobe

The Witwatersrand is not the only deposit of conglomerate in the world that contains gold. In the area around Timmins Ontario there are also mines that produce gold from ancient conglomerates of Archean age between 2.8 M2 .6 billion years old. It is not only gold that these ancient conglomerates are apt to contain a common Association in rocks of this type are uranium mineralization. This is been taken advantage of at Elliot Lake, Ontario where some of the largest uranium mines in the world are found. The same deposits also contain significant amounts of rare earth elements to the point that the mining company Pele Mountain Resources (TSX-V ~ GEM) headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. At their Eco Ridge Mine in Elliot Lake, Ontario they are actively searching for both uranium minerals and rare earth minerals. The conglomerate at the Eco Ridge Mine also contains some gold.

Sandstone in a red bed that has been cemented and stained by iron oxide.
Photo by Anne Burgess

Ancient conglomerates are not the only place where gold can be found in sedimentary rocks as detrital gold is also found in many types of sandstone as small grains, and can even be found in fine-grained shale as microscopic particles that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This kind of gold was never recovered until recently when Newmont Mining developed the gold deposits of the Carlin Trend in northern Nevada.

A closeup of the Marcellus Shale found in the eastern United States.  Aside from holding a vast amount of natural gas the Marcellus Shale sometimes contains gold in very fine specs that are invisible to the naked eye.
Photo by Lvklock

Most of those miners that are working with placer gold deposits in the rivers and streams of the world or along the beaches are also dealing with a type of detrital gold deposit in the form of specs of gold to have been eroded from hard rock and have been swept down river by the action of running water to where we can find them in the gravel deposits of the stream bed.

Conglomerate is nothing other than stream gravel that has become fossilized over time; just about any time you find conglomerate when you are prospecting it is a good idea to have a very careful look at the deposit. This also applies to sandstone and shale since they are also sedimentary rocks that have been produced by the action of running water.

The Abitibi Gold Province of Eastern Canada

During the course of writing the articles about the states in the American Midwest where gold occurrences are we made several references to the Abitibi Gold Belt in Canada located in the provinces of Québec and Ontario. This is what the Abitibi is about.

The Dome Mine in Timmins, Ontario one of the original gold mines of the Porcupine Gold Rush

We are taught about the great gold rushes that occurred in the Western United States during the latter part of the 19th century, but we know very little about the biggest Goldrush that ever occurred in North America. Know was that the California gold rush, nor was it the Klondike Gold Rush it was the Porcupine Goldrush that occurred about 600 miles north of New York City in Porcupine, Ontario. 

This Goldrush occurred in the Abitibi Gold belt that has proved to be one of the great gold bearing provinces on earth, and appears to be exceeded in size only by the Witwatersrand of South Africa.  The Abitibi is a continuous band of gneiss, granite and greenstone extending from Wawa, Ontario to Val d’Or, Québec that is the same goes is produced more gold than there is in Fort Knox. Since 1901 the gold mines of the Abitibi region of produced more than 170,000,000 ounces of gold; more than 68,000,000 ounces of them produced in the Township of Timmins, Ontario alone.

The Kidd Creek Mine in Timmins Ontario a leading producer of copper and zinc.  NOAA

During its history of his loss of more than 100 years they have a time he gold belt has produced over 100 gold mines, and from recent exploration it appears that the Abitibi is going to produce even more gold than it has in the past. Gold is not the only metal that is produced in the Abitibi Gold belt it has also been the scene of some very large base metal mines. It is in the same town of Timmins that the fabulous Kidd Creek Mine is located that kicked off a mining rush in early 1964 that today is producing copper and zinc along with other metals at a depth around 9500 feet making it one of the deepest mines in North America. It also produced the base metal mines around Rouyn-Noranda said gave birth to the Noranda Mining Company that during its day was one of the largest mining companies in the world.

Aside from its production of over 170,000,000 ounces of gold the Abitibi has also produced 35,000,000,000 pounds of zinc, 15,000,000,000 pounds of copper and 400,000,000 ounces of silver. In addition there are several minor metals that are also produced like germanium and indium. Even today they keep finding more mineral deposits in the Abitibi.

.

Gold Occurrences in Minnesota

Making sense of the geology of Minnesota requires that you also consider that of Ontario to the North bordering Minnesota.  Looking at the western end of the Abitibi Gold Province located in Wawa, Ontario from the air you see a series of fault lines can be distinguished that from the air that appear to dive under Lake Superior. 

Geology of the Lake Superior region.  USGS

The question to be answered is the Vermilion Greenstone Belt that lies to the east of Lake Vermilion a western extension of the Abitibi Province.  The Vermilion Greenstone Belt is within the age range of the Abitibi at about 2.7 billion years old.  

Starting in the early 1990s a drilling program was undertaken that suggests that this may be the case. In the past twenty years finding gold in Minnesota has drastically changed not only by the findings in the Vermilion Greenstone Belt, but also by the findings associated with the Duluth Gabbro in the Ely district of the Arrowhead of Minnesota.  There have been millions of ounces of gold that are associated with the volcanogenic massive sulfides that have been discovered there by Duluth Metals and other mining companies.

Prospecting for gold in Minnesota goes back to the 19^th century when some of the 49ers returned from the California Goldrush.  It was some of the early gold prospectors that discovered the Mesabi Range while searching for gold.

Gold in quartz typically lode gold.
Photo by Rob Lavinsky

Like all the other Midwestern States the glaciers have brought down gold from the gold regions of Manitoba and Ontario. Placer Gold is found throughout the state with the best prospecting is in the rivers and streams. Another place where placer gold may be found is along the shores of Lake Superior. There is an active gold prospecting community located in Minnesota. This is not counting the lode gold deposits.