Whitesail Lake Map-Area

In 1913 ‘Kid’ Price found, first, placer gold then lode gold in narrow
quartz veins on Sibola Creek and Sibola Peak. The news of this find caused
a rush of prospectors to Mount Sweeney and Sibola Peak in 1914. The
narrow veins were subsequently proved to be of low grade.

About the same time or a little earlier prospectors were busy on
Whitesail Lake and the ‘Cariboo Group’ (now Mentor group) on the south
shore of the lake near Zinc Bay was staked by Messrs. Harrison and
Michelson. Mr. Harrison settled at Wistaria till 1952 when he was com-
pensated for his property by the Aluminum Company. He and his sons have
prospected the Whitesail and Eutsuk Lakes country during the years between
1914 and the present and have made numerous discoveries, the most
important of which have been the gold and scheelite deposits on Lind-
quist Peak.

Prospecting continued in a desultory manner during and following
World War I. However, it gained impetus between 1923 and 1930 when
there was much activity in the area. Copper was found on Tesla Mountain,
and the Emerald lead-zinc vein on Mount Sweeney was developed by the
Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada. There was also
some underground development of the showings on Swing Peak and
Chikamin Mountain.

From 1930 through the depression years and the early years of World
War II prospecting and development were at a very low ebb. The discovery
by the Harrison brothers of gold and tungsten in promising quantities on
Lindquist Peak in 1943 created intense interest during the next three
years. The area was covered by prospectors and prospecting teams sent out
by major exploration companies, and an intensive diamond-drilling cam-
paign was carried out on the gold veins on Lindquist Peak. The depressed
state of the gold mining industry in 1947 had an ill effect on prospecting
in the area and there was little if any serious work that year. Interest by
the Aluminum Company in the power potential of the area combined with
increased prices for base metals brought activity to the point where the
Emerald Glacier property on Mount Sweeney produced ore in 1951 and 1952.
At this time Deer Horn Mines Limited was formed to explore further and
to develop the gold and tungsten deposits on Lindquist Peak. Underground
and surface explorations were carried out each year till November 1955
when all operations ceased. During 1952 interest was again shown in the
copper deposits on Tesla Mountain and an entirely new gold find was made,
known as the Smith-Nash group, in the country west of Sandifer Lake.

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