Asupplement to the Terrace Review

A historical perspective on
- mining in the Terrace area

_Rewritten with permission by

Dr. Norma Kerby, (Kitimat-
Stikine Regional Dist.)

Although no mining activity has
been carried out in the Terrace

‘area in recent years, mining has
been a part of this community

since 1884 (twenty years before
the first permanent European set-
tlements), with placer gold finds in
the Kitsumkalum Lake region.
Because of the city’s strategic
location and well developed trans-
portation and utilities infrastruc-
ture, exploration and mining com-
panies (mineral industry) have
wed Terrace as a supply and
service centre.

‘In 1884, placer gold was actively

mined from Kleanza, Chindemash,
Fiddler, Lorne, Douglas and
Phillips Creeks.

Jn 1893, a mild staking rush

started in the Usk area when gold
and copper ores were discovered

«In 1912, gold, silver, copper, lead,
zinc, molybdenum and tungsten
deposits were discovered on
Thornhill and Kleanza Mountains.
In 1914, gold, silver, lead and
zinc claims were made in the

_ Kitsumkalum Lake area. Limonite

iron ore on the Zymoctz (Copper)
River, copper deposits on Kleanza,
St. Croix and Chindemash Creeks,
and high grade ore containing

gold, lead, zinc and copper on
Fiddler Creek.

Mining was. rekindled in the
terrace area in the mid-1930s.
Columario Consolidated Gold
Mines developed mining property
near Usk, but this did not prove
profitable. The Darndanelle mine,
owned by the Omineca Gold
Quartz Mines Company in Vander-
hoof, operated successfully on the
north side of the Zymoetz River
(gold/silverflead/zinc) until World
War II.

In 1934, the Lucky Luke Mine at
Usk went into operation, and in
1935, a molybdenum operation
between Lowrie. and Nicholson
Creeks was developed by the

Nicholson Creek Mining Corpor-
ation based in Seattle, Washington.

World War II brought an end to
most of the mining operations in
the Terrace area, The importance
of prospecting and mining as an
industry in the area was further
reduced after the war because of
lack of large ore bodies, and the
opportunities provided by jobs in
the forest industry.

Over the last several years, ex-
ploration programs have been re-
examining the precious metal
occurrences marked by prospectors
earlier in this century - on Bornite,
Thomhilil and Kleanza Mountains,
Kitsumkalum Lake area and the
Coper River valley.

Premier Gold project -
workforce reduction |

The premier Gold Project in Stewart has announced a
reduction of its workforce from 165 to 100 people. The
deterioration of technical and economical conditions has
necessitated the reduction of ore reserves at Premier and
subsequent reduction in the milling rate from 2,300 to 1,500
tonnes per day. These reductions are effective March 15,

1991.

Westnin Bulletin, Dec.1990

Mining Week, February 27, 1991 1

GEDDES Resources Ltd continued to develop the huge
Windy Craggy copper deposit. The company completed
numerous studies to assess the impact of a mine in this
remote location. Field teste on the potential for developing
acid drainage are shown In the picture above.

This salute to Mining Week "91 Is brought to you by
the Terrace Review In co-operation with the local
businesses advertised within. Special thanks to Jean
Black and David Lefebure for their contributions.