Where can I mine for gold on Vancouver Island?
The Bob copper mine, a small open-pit skarn, is located beside the road part way to the main lake. The upper Bonanza River is one of the few designated placer gold rivers on Vancouver Island.
Where can I find gold nuggets on Vancouver Island?
Gold is usually recovered in the form of sandy powder, but you could get lucky and find actual nuggets. A few good areas to try on Vancouver Island are Leechtown west of Sooke along the Galloping Goose Trail, San Juan River Valley near Port Renfrew, Nanaimo River watershed, and Gold River.
Where can I find gold pan on Vancouver Island?
Places to Gold Pan on Vancouver Island. 1 1. Zeballos Area. This is a small gold mining community located on the coast of Vancouver Island. Lode gold is found in the valley, with resulting ... 2 2. Nootka Sound Area. 3 3. Herbert Arm Area. 4 4. Bedwell River Area. 5 5. Kennedy River and Taylor River Areas.
Who was the first person to find gold on Vancouver Island?
Robert Brown is credited with the first gold finds on Vancouver Island. The discovery was made in a place known as Leech River, and prospectors soon rushed to the island in search of gold. The discovery of the mineral on this island led to a small gold rush to the region.
Does Vancouver Island have gold?
Vancouver Island has a rich gold mining history that dates back to 1864 when prospectors discovered gold in Leech River, bringing hundreds of prospectors to the southern section of the island.
Can I gold pan anywhere in BC?
You can pan for gold in any stream in BC if you use only a shovel and a gold pan, and you are not on/in a claim/lease, park, private property, reserve or First Nations land. See Hand Panning for more information. You may want to see the Placer Areas page and the Opportunities page.
Was there a gold rush on Vancouver Island?
History of Gold on Vancouver Island Robert Brown is credited with the first gold finds on Vancouver Island. The discovery was made in a place known as Leech River, and prospectors soon rushed to the island in search of gold. The discovery of the mineral on this island led to a small gold rush to the region.
Are there any mines on Vancouver Island?
Underground mining took place on three of the four principal seams in the Comox Formation. Currently, the Quinsam mine in the Comox coalfield is the only operating coal mine on Vancouver Island.
What rivers in BC have gold?
The following are recreational gold panning reserves that have been set aside for gold panners in the province: Barnes Creek, Cayoosh Creek, Erickson, Coldstream, Hope, Kennedy River, Kettle River, Lytton-Site 1, Lytton-Site 2, Princeton, Spruce Creek, Quesnel-Fraser River, Wild Horse River, and Yaletown.
Can you find gold nuggets in BC?
The largest gold nugget ever found in BC was taken from Mcdame Creek tipping the scale at 73 ounces! Another giant nugget was found on Alice Shea Creek that weighed 52 ounces. Several towns sprung up near the gold discoveries such as Laketon, Porter Landing and Centerville.
Where is the most gold found in BC?
The Cariboo is the richest placer area in BC. It lies east of the city of Quesnel, with most of the famous creeks around and between the towns of Wells (near the historic town of Barkerville) and the village of Likely. The history is wonderful and there are a lot of gold-bearing creeks.
Is there gold in Nanaimo?
“There was 200,000 ounces of gold taken off the Leech River in a year,” said Barry Foster, a Nanaimo placer miner. “It was one of the fastest-growing, fastest-dying gold rush towns in British Columbia and almost nobody knows about it.”
Can you pan for gold in Sooke Potholes?
A town of 3,000 sprang up quickly and led to lots being sold in the town site of Sooke. Many settled in Sooke after the gold rush was over. Interestingly enough though, is that the modern day has seen placer miners seeking gold in the Sooke River. They still pan for gold.
What minerals can be found on Vancouver Island?
Vancouver Island, off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, has considerable deposits of minerals, notably coal and copper. In the late 19th century, the abundance of copper led to a large industry, with many entrepreneurs trying to get a large stake.
Is there gold in the Campbell River?
They found samples that indicated good seams of gold, silver and copper about 3.2km inland along their track. It turned out that “Old Curly” had been running right past the gold mine! Having transportation readily available gave the mining operation a head start.
Are there any mines in Victoria?
Significant gold mining operations include mining at Fosterville, Ballarat, Stawell and Costerfield which also hosts an antimony mine.
Where can I pan in BC?
Panning Reserves In British ColumbiaCayoosh Creek.Erickson.Goldstream River.Hope.Kennedy River.Kettle River.Lytton Site 1.Lytton Site 2.More items...
Where can you metal detect for gold in BC?
Saxe Point Park – An Off the Coast Provincial Park (Saxe Point Park, Victoria, British Columbia) Saxe Point Park is another park that holds historical relevance. If you go metal detecting along with its waterfront access, you're sure to find a coin or two.
Can you pan gold anywhere?
Unless you have legal rights to access, prospect and keep the gold at a certain location, you simply can't can't pan for gold there. Even if you come away with some gold, you run the risk of legal prosecution in addition to forfeiting any gold you've found there.
Can I pan for gold on the Fraser River?
Yale is another great place to visit if you want to do gold panning on the Fraser River. The town dates back to the early days of the Fraser Gold Rush. Today the Yale area has a population of only about 200 people, but this area is now a popular tourist destination.
What is the gold rush in Vancouver?
The gold on Vancouver Island is primarily placer mined or panned from the local rivers. Most of the placer mines on the island today are small ...
When was gold discovered in Van Isle?
Gold was discovered in this area for the first time in 1907 but large-scale mining began in 1924 when the first claim was staked.
What were the early gold mines in the area?
Some of the early mines in the area include King Midas. Tagore, Zeballos Camp and Privateer. Large-scale mining was conducted in the area until the 1950s. Today gold prospectors can prospect on some of the old claims and on other private properties that have great potential for gold production. 2.
Where to golf on Vancouver Island?
Other places where you can find golf on the Vancouver Island include the Nanaimo River, the Oyster River, Alberni Canal, Nahmint River, and Tranquil Creek area among others.
When was gold discovered in Herbert Arm?
Herbert Arm Area. Gold was discovered in the area in 1933 and several claims were staked the following years. Large-scale mining was done until the 1950s when it stopped. Today some of the rich gold claims in the region include Big Boy, Tyee, Abco, and Moyeha.
Do you need a claim to pan for gold in Vancouver Island?
The good news for anyone interested in panning gold in the Vancouver Island is that you don't necessarily need to have your own claim to pan for gold. A number of claim owners let people pan on their claims for a small fee while others run a number of individuals run gold panning camps in their claims. In addition, the Vancouver Island Placer ...
Where to find gold in Vancouver Island?
A few good areas to try on Vancouver Island are Leechtown west of Sooke along the Galloping Goose Trail, San Juan River Valley near Port Renfrew, Nanaimo River watershed, and Gold River.
How to get gold from a creek?
Find a shallow flowing spot on a creek. Fill the pan three-quarters with gravel then shake from side to side, then around in circles to wash out the lighter material. The gold will settle at the bottom of the pan in the form of “black sand”. A magnet can help to separate the black magnetic iron sand from the gold. Gold is usually recovered in the form of sandy powder, but you could get lucky and find actual nuggets.
Why is gold panning important?
Gold panning is a great way to interact with the natural environment, experience a piece of history, and possibly have the thrill of extracting something valuable from the land.
What did Bob say before heading upstream to look for telltale traces of gold?
Before heading upstream to look for telltale traces of gold Bob said, “Keep panning the stream bed until I get back. I’ll leave you the shotgun to chase off the claim jumpers.”
Where are the gold veins in Vancouver Island?
Nearly every kind of metal deposit occurs here, from the phenomenally rich gold veins of Zeballos, to the huge massive sulphide deposits at Boliden’s Myra Falls mine. As most of the area is well-serviced by logging roads, you can check out the many interesting localities ...
What type of rock is Vancouver Island?
Vancouver Island is built on a thick platform of Paleozoic volcanic-sedimentary rocks known as the Sicker Group. These rocks host all of the known rhodonite deposits, and the large polymetallic volcanogenic deposits mined at Myra Falls near Buttle Lake and several other former mines.
Is Vancouver Island a Treasure Island?
However, good tires and a real spare are a must due to sharp rocks turned up during frequent road grading, and logging trucks abound, so be aware always and drive with your lights on! Vancouver Island could very well be described as “Treasure Island”.
Is it dangerous to collect mercury in Vancouver Island?
That’s it for the geology of Vancouver Island. Please bear in mind that mineral collecting in open pit or underground mines can be very dangerous! Try to collect your specimens from the waste dumps well away from the mine workings. Wear rubber gloves when collecting lead, arsenic or mercury minerals.
Where to find gold in Vancouver Island?
The next area of collecting interest is in the vicinity of Nimpkish and Bonanza Lakes. The Bonanza area is accessed from near the Zeballos turn-off, and can be driven through to Telegraph Cove and back out to the highway. The Bob copper mine, a small open-pit skarn, is located beside the road part way to the main lake. The upper Bonanza River is one of the few designated placer gold rivers on Vancouver Island. The gold source, similar to Mt. Washington, appears to be fine gold coming from Karmutsen lavas at the headwaters, concentrating into small nuggets downstream.
Where is the gold mine on Mount Washington?
An old copper mine and an unmined gold deposit sit on the northeast side of Mount Washington near the top of the mountain, which is mainly composed of highly faulted Karmutsen Formation basalts intruded by a Tertiary stock. On the top of the mountain rare shell fossils can be found. The copper and gold deposits are rich in arsenic minerals such as realgar. Vuggy crystalline and chalcedonic quartz often forms with the mineralization. Placer gold can be found in Oyster River draining the northern part of the mountain. Relatively large nuggets have accumulated in the river further downstream.
Where is Bob Copper Mine?
The Bob copper mine, a small open-pit skarn, is located beside the road part way to the main lake. The upper Bonanza River is one of the few designated placer gold rivers on Vancouver Island.
Where to find skarns in the Nimpkish River?
East of the Island Highway, the Kinman Creek area host a variety of small, rich copper deposits and interesting skarn minerals. Several large cave systems are found in the area, and local guides are available. Other minerals of interest in the local skarns include “peacock” chalcopyrite, magnetite, pyrite, specular hematite, bornite, galena, jasper, diopside, and serpentine.
Where is North Island Copper and Gold located?
Image courtesy of The Interior. Located in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, the North Island copper and gold project is being developed by NorthIsle Copper and Gold through its fully owned subsidiary North Island Mining.
How much copper is in the Canadian gold mine?
The preliminary economic assessment (PEA) study for the project was completed in September 2017, which indicated that the annual production from the Canadian copper-gold project is estimated to be 82Mlb of copper, 79,000oz of gold, and 3Mlb of molybdenum.
How many claims are there in Copper Gold?
The copper-gold project is a combination of 212 mixed legacy and cell mineral claims covering 33,447ha. It comprises two main deposits, namely Hushamu and Red Dog, along with five partially explored copper-gold porphyry deposits.
How much gold is in the Hushamu deposit?
The Hushamu deposit is estimated to contain indicated resources of 1.4 billion pounds of copper, 2.8Moz of gold, and 65.7Mlb of molybdenum.
What is the mineral found on Vancouver Island?
Vancouver Island, off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, has considerable deposits of minerals, notably coal and copper. In the late 19th century, the abundance of copper led to a large industry, with many entrepreneurs trying to get a large stake.
Is there mining in the North of the island?
Today, there is still some mining, mainly on the north of the island, but it no longer is a dominant part of the economy as it was in the 19th century.
Does mining on Vancouver Island cite any sources?
Mining on Vancouver Island. This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Mining on Vancouver Island has taken place since the arrival of the Europeans in the 18th century.
How big is Vancouver Island?
23.94/km 2 (62/sq mi) Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is 456 km (283 mi) in length, 100 km (62 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,134 km 2 (12,407 sq mi) in area. The island is the largest by area and the most populous along the west coasts ...
Who is Vancouver Island named after?
It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, who between 1791 and 1794 explored the Pacific Northwest coast. Vancouver Island is the world's 43rd largest island, Canada's 11th largest island, and Canada's second most populous island after the Island of Montreal .
What are the indigenous peoples of Vancouver Island?
Indigenous peoples. Main article: Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Vancouver Island has been the homeland to many indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The groupings, by language, are the Kwakwakaʼwakw (also known as the Kwakiutl), Nuu-chah-nulth, and various Coast Salish peoples.
How many school districts are there in Vancouver Island?
There are 12 school districts on Vancouver Island with several elementary, junior high, and high schools in each. Three school districts are in the Greater Victoria area and the other eight cover the rest of the island to the north. All public schooling falls under the jurisdiction of the British Columbia Ministry of Education.
What is the population of Vancouver Island in 2020?
The population of Vancouver Island was 846,278 as of 2020. Nearly half of that population (401,700) live in the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. Other notable cities and towns on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay, and Campbell River .
When did the Spanish explore Vancouver Island?
By 1776, Spanish exploration had reached Bucareli Bay including the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington, and Sitka Sound . Vancouver Island came to the attention of Britain after the third voyage of Captain James Cook, who spent a month during 1778 at Nootka Sound, on the island's western coast.
Which side of Vancouver Island has a rainforest?
The western side of Vancouver Island hosts a rainforest.
