New discoveries in Atikokan.

• Author: GOULIQUER, DIANNE
• Position: Atikokan Resources Inc. - Brief Article

It's been nearly 20 years since the last iron ore mine shut down in Atikokan, but one local geologist believes there are still plenty of excellent mining opportunities left in the area.

"In my estimation I think the potential is very good," Ray Bernatchez, president of Atikokan Resources Inc., says of the possibility of a base metal mine starting up in the future. "We're at the stage where we've reached a certain level of confidence. I think we have identified a world-class volcanic massive sulphide system, and it's a huge one. We still haven't defined the full potential of it yet."

Each exploration program provides increasing evidence to support assumptions that a minable base metal deposit in the area does exist, says Bernatchez, who was also once a senior geologist at the former Steep Rock Iron Mine.

"We're seeing a (surveying) trend that is kilometres long and a couple of kilometres wide," he says. "One particular horizon that we're chasing we've traced out visibly and geophysically and it's at least four kilometres long with mineralization in it (including) base metals like copper, zinc, lead and a bit of gold in places. We can see from previous surveys, and from airborne surveys, that the system might be twice that distance, maybe three times (the distance), up to 12 kilometres long" are being concentrated in the Lumby Lake area, located about 30 kiometres northeast of Atikokan. Bernatchez has been conducting surveys there for the past six years and says he's "quite excited" about the area's potential, based on the results of surveys.

"It's what I've been hoping to find all my life," Bernatchez says. "It's something that we can really put a very strong level of confidence on; we've got a chance to find a deposit in here."

Studies are being concentrated in the Lumby Lake area, located about 30 kilometers northeast of Atikokan. Bernatchez has been conducting surveys there for the past six years and says he's "quite excited" about the area's potential, based on the results of surveys.

He says the mineral discovery in the bedrock is similar in geology to that of the once-booming Mattabi Mine north of Ignace.

"Silver is very high in the original discovery occurrence," Bernatchez says. "We don't see those things in the base metal deposits too often. It's very similar in geology and mineral potential to the Mattabi Mine and the Kidd Creek Mine. They have almost identical geology.

"It's a classic base metal system and we're slowly developing...