Gold, base metals, diamonds have junior miners hopping; Fertile ground for a cluster of exploration projects.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: FORT FRANCES / RAINY RIVER

The never-ending search for new mineral deposits has spread into the Fort Frances-Rainy River district.

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A slew of exploration juniors have been working ground and taking samples of gold, copper, nickel, and even finding a few diamonds.

Ontario District Geologist Craig Ravnaas, who tracks exploration work in the Kenora District (which includes the Fort Frances area) says it's a height of activity not seen in this corner of northwestern Ontario since the early 1980's.

"It's not one major centre like Red Lake, it's spread out over a fairly big area."

There are no producing mines in the area -- not yet anyway -- but there are several significant programs underway. The Rainy River district has been the catalyst for the surge of exploration that's stretched northeast toward Dryden over the last two years.

The Ministry of Northern Development and Mines estimates the value of exploration work in the Kenora District at $34 million, pretty impressive considering there are no operating mines in the area.

A good chunk of exploration work is taking place to the west and east of Highway 71, which runs north to Kenora.

The most advanced product is Canadian Arrow Mines' Kenbridge deposit near Sioux Narrows. The Sudbury junior miner is moving toward development of an open pit and underground copper-nickel mine with the blessing of local Treaty 3 communities.

Ravnaas says the Rainy River area had fallen into the same dormant path as Dryden and Kenora's historic mining camps from the early 20th century that have been largely neglected for years.

One of the area's biggest and most exciting players is Rainy River Resources.

The Vancouver outfit's gold discoveries in Richardson Township, 55 kilometres northwest of Fort Frances, is getting bigger and bigger. In September, they trumpeted a seventh high grade gold discovery in a new zone running east following a step-out drilling program.

One drill hole revealed three wide, multi-gram gold intervals near surface. Rainy River president Nelson Baker called the near-surface discovery a "significant new event" for the company that demonstrates the "unusual gold potential of this exciting property".

The company has been super-aggressive since acquiring the property in 2006, spending $15 million in exploration and drilling about 230 holes, mostly directed at targets in their 17/ODM gold zones.

Their success has drawn in junior miners like Bayview Ventures, Skyharbour Resources and Range Metals on...