Production of silver in the Gowganda camp is first recorded in 1909, and by 1969, had totalled almost 60,200,000 ounces silver and 1,300,000 pounds of cobalt with minor nickel and copper. Most of the silver was produced from three mines, the Miller Lake-O’Brien, Castle-Trethewey, and Capitol, with minor additional ounces contributed by 10 other satellite mines.

Between 1967 and 1972, United Siscoe Mines resumed underground development and production in the vicinity of the Capitol workings, and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd extracted 101,024 tonnes from the Castle No 3 Mine which yielded 2.67 million ounces of silver, 76,273 lb. of cobalt and 22,443 lb. of copper.

In 1979, Sandy K Mines purchased the mineral rights from Siscoe Metals and rehabilitated the site for underground exploration of the workings at the Lower Bonsall. After conducting a surface exploration program, they drove an adit 450m into the host Nipissing Diabase near the Bonsall shaft and completed 465m of drifting and an underground drill program.

Most of the tailings from the historic mining operations are located on 100% BMR held mining leases in the centre of the Gowganda mining camp.

In 1999, gravity and metallurgical test work was carried out on the tailings by Lakefield Research. Testwork indicated silver recoveries of 77% - 86% by separating and grinding the +100-mesh material prior to gravity recovery.

In 2011, Temex commissioned GeoVector to complete a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate on the tailings deposit. The 2011 mineral resource estimate is based on 729 auger, drive pipe and sonic drill holes (2,806m) and 2,039 assay values. Drilling of tailings was conducted as a series of campaigns between 1981 and 2000.

In 2012, Overburden Drilling Management Limited, the company which completed drill testing of the tailings in late 2012 completed follow-up work to assess if the silver in the coarser fraction of the tailings could be extracted by gravity.

• 48.3% of the tailings are >0.15mm (coarse size) and most of these are in the uppermost portion of the tailings pile
• Coarse tailings (>0.15mm) have better silver recovery rates

Canada Silver Cobalt Works, whose property is adjacent to BMR’s Gowganda claims, controls the former Castle Trethewey past silver producer and has conducted an IP survey and extensive trenching, sampling and drilling programs for silver and gold.

In 2011, hole CA-1108 intersected a high-grade silver vein assaying 6,476 grams/ton silver over 3.09m at 563.54m downhole adjacent to the BMR claim boundary.

Drilling in 2019 – 2020 at the  new Robinson East discovery adjacent to BMR’s Gowganda East Target, culminated in an inferred mineral resource of 32,900 tonnes grading 7,149g/t silver for a total of 7,567,000 ounces of silver (May 28th, 2020; Press Release: “Maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate for Castle East Robinson Zone” Canada Silver Cobalt Works).

The geology at Gowganda comprises a sub-circular Nipissing Diabase sill near the contact between Archean rocks and Huronian sediments. 

Most of the historic mine development and production was focussed on the west limb of the Nipissing Diabase sill. Most of the cobalt production in the Gowganda Mining District is derived as a biproduct from high-grade silver veins hosted in Proterozoic Nipissing Diabase intrusions.

Mineralized veins in the Gowganda Camp are generally located in the top half of the Miller Lake Diabase sill with the most productive veins occurring in the western margin. It appears that the ore veins occur at right angles to the contact between the Diabase and metavolcanics, in joints, both planar and cylindroidal, and in faults crosscutting the cylindrical joints.

Orebodies are most common at vein intersections with the average size of an ore vein 2.5cm to 5.0cm wide with horizontal and vertical dimensions of 30m to 60m.

BMR is targeting high-grade Five-Element style vein mineralization like that mined in the historical Gowganda Camp.

BMR Drilling to Date: 177 holes / 11,4097m:

• 2021 Gowganda Bald Rock: 7 holes / 687m
• 2018 Gowganda Tailings: 103 holes / 800m
• 2019 - 21 Gowganda Kilpatrick Target: 19 holes / 1,768m
• 2020 Gowganda Miller Lake: 19 holes / 3,609m
• 2020 - 21 Gowganda Transition JV Big Four: 24 holes / 2,227m
• 2021 Gowganda East – Transition JV: 5 holes / 2,006m

GOWGANDA - BALD ROCK TARGET (BMR 100%)

The Bald Rock target also referred to as the LaCarte or Silver Leaf showing is located about 12.5km east of the village of Gowganda. It consists of a shaft that was sunk in the 1930s and numerous pits and mechanically stripped outcrops which have been periodically examined over the years.  

Historic stripping and channel sampling yielded intervals grading 51.60g/t silver, >1.00% cobalt and 1.37% copper over 0.58 metres and 4.19g/t silver, >0.30% cobalt, and 1.13% copper over 2.05m. 

In 2019, rock grab sampling by BMR returned significant assay results:

• 0.51% cobalt, 4.84g/t silver and 0.34% copper: (R1178)
• 1.53% cobalt, 18.7g/t silver and 0.47% copper: (R2218)
• 0.73% cobalt, 4.04g/t silver and 0.07% copper: (R0172)
• 0.75% cobalt, 41.3g/t silver and 3.28% copper: (R0173)

In 2021, BMR drilled 5 holes near the stripped area and an additional 2 holes to the north for a total of 687m. The drilling indicates a correlation of low magnetic susceptibility values to the alteration and anomalous cobalt and silver values. Significant downhole core intercepts are summarized below:

• 0.63% cobalt and 3.61g/t silver over 3.0m (Drillhole GBR21001)
• 0.28% cobalt and 1.01g/t silver over 2.5m, and 0.53% cobalt and 6.38g/t silver over 0.50m (Drillhole GBR21004)
• 0.12% cobalt and 6.22g/t silver over 2.0m (Drillhole GBR21005)

 The cobalt-silver mineralization sampled in the surface exposure and intersected in the recent drilling remains open at depth and along strike.

Follow-up drilling is planned.

GOWGANDA - SILVER TAILINGS RESOURCE (BMR 100%):

Drilling of the tailings (103 holes / 800m) by BMR in 2018 confirmed the historic resource silver grades and a complete suite of multi-element geochemical data collected for tailings.

GOWGANDA - CAPITOL MINE KILPATRICK TARGET (BMR 100%)

Excavator stripping of an outcrop about 100m south of the Capitol shaft in 2018 uncovered a 70m long cobalt-rich vein system that was channel sampled by BMR. Results include:

• 1.37% cobalt over 1.65m (RC-CH Channel 2)
• 2.74% cobalt over 1.5m (RC-CH Channel 3)
• 1.85% cobalt over 3.0m (RC-CH Channel 6)
• 1.43% cobalt over 1.5m (RC-CH Channel 7)

In 2018, a grid-based geophysical three-dimensional distributed induced polarization (“3D IP”) survey was conducted.

Between 2018 and 2021, a total of 19 holes (1768m) were drilled by BMR to test the depth and strike extent of the vein zone as well as two strong IP geophysical targets. The drilling confirmed the continuity of the vein system yielding significant downhole core intercepts as follows:

• 2.55% cobalt and 2.90% nickel over 0.5m from 12.3m (Drillhole GKP19001)
• 0.44% cobalt and 0.22% nickel over 0.5m from 20.20m (Drillhole GKP19002)
• 0.45% cobalt and 0.45% nickel over 0.63m from 21.22m (Drillhole GKP19010)

GOWGANDA – MILLER LAKE DRILL TARGET (BMR 100%)

In total,19 holes aggregating 3,609m were drilled along the flanks of the Gowganda tailings basin as follows: the cluster of 8 holes to the north tested the Sandy K/ Bonsall targets, the 3 holes to the south were designed to check extensions of the Miller Lake- O’Brien orebodies and the tiers of 8 holes straddling #10 shaft, tested the “Gap” between the mine sites.

The initial grouping of drill holes to the north intersected several cobalt and silver-bearing veins including:

• 0.22% cobalt, 6990g/t silver over 0.5m from 19.8m (Drillhole GML20001);
• 0.27% cobalt, 989g/t silver over 0.2m from 28.95m (Drillhole GML20002);
• 0.51% cobalt, 31g/t silver over 0.2m from 52.90m (Drillhole GML20005);
• 0.33% cobalt, 58.2g/t silver over 0.2m from 96.1m (Drillhole GML20007);

GOWGANDA - BIG FOUR TARGET (Transition Metals Option)

The Big Four prospect, which is under an option and joint venture agreement between Transition Metals Corp. is located about 1km east of the town of Gowganda.

In 2020, BMR completed a winter grid-based geophysical three-dimensional distributed induced polarization (“3D IP”) survey over the historic workings.

Later that same year, excavator trenching / stripping and detailed mapping as well as preparation of drilling access and pads was undertaken.

Sampling around the pits and adjacent waste rock piles generated significant results which warranted follow-up drilling.

• 5.64% cobalt and 97.3g/t silver (R0382)
• 1.50% cobalt and 16.8g/t silver (R0152)

Drill programs totalling 24 holes were completed in 2020 - 2021 for an aggregate of 2227m.

Drill collar locations were located on the side of a steep hill which constrained the targeting of the vein, however cobalt mineralization intersected in several holes as downhole core intercepts include:

• 0.93% cobalt and 15.6g/t silver over 0.22m from 31.05m (GBF21002)
• 0.10% cobalt and 1.6g/t silver over 2.0m from 12.00m (GBF2012)
• 0.36% cobalt and 1.0g/t silver over 0.17m from 76.48m (GBF20015)

Significantly, the style of mineralization observed in grab samples and that which was intersected in hole GBF20002, resembled the McAra style cobaltite breccia vein.

GOWGANDA EAST (Transition Metals Option)

The Gowganda East project is part of the option and joint venture agreement between Transition Metals Corp. and Battery Mineral Resource Corp.

BMR completed a grid-based geophysical three-dimensional distributed induced polarization (“3D IP”) survey over the Gowganda East Target.

The historic silver-cobalt production at Gowganda was sourced from veins hosted` in or near the west limb of the Nipissing Diabase. This 3D IP survey targeted the east limb of the Nipissing Diabase to identify potential altered zones and veining like to the main Gowganda camp.

The underlying geology in the survey area is similar to the near-by Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc. Castle East Robinson inferred mineral resource located just west of the survey grid. The Castle East Robinson Zone hosts a total inferred mineral resource of 32,900 tonnes grading 7,149g/t silver for a total of 7,567,000 ounces of silver (May 28th, 2020, Press Release: “Maiden NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate for Castle East Robinson Zone” Canada Silver Cobalt Works Inc.) 

Historic records and the recent geophysical surveys suggest that silver deposits similar to those mined near the upper margins of the Nipissing Diabase sill in the main Gowganda camp may be buried in the Gowganda East area.

Drilling by BMR in the summer of 2021 consisted of 2 holes and 3 wedges totalling 2006m.

Assay results are pending, and follow-up drilling and geophysical surveys are being planned.

GOWGANDA PROPERTY RECONNAISSANCE TARGETS (BMR 100%)

BMR field crews conducted reconnaissance traverses targeting prospects that had been identified from Ontario government reports and assessment data, supplemented with LIDAR data which was used to pinpoint the location of specific features.

Old shafts, pits, outcrops and their waste rock piles were examined and sampled to evaluate each site for potential follow up. Rock grab sampling produced the following significant assay results:

• Babs Lake: 6.60% cobalt and 1675.00g/t silver (R1221)
• Sydney Creek: 1.06% cobalt and 5.00g/t silver (R1175)
• Powerful Silver: 2.45% cobalt and 103.00g/t silver (R1174)
• Martin Lake East: 3.83% cobalt and 8.20g/t silver (R2226)

Ground follow-up is planned for Babs Lake, Chapelle, Martin Lake East, Powerful Silver, Sydney Creek and Bishop Prospects to identify new drill targets.

In 2011, Temex commissioned GeoVector to complete a NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate on the tailings deposit of about 1,940,000 tonnes grading 47.5 g/t silver for 2,960,000 contained ounces of silver in an indicated category (at a silver cut-off grade of 10.0 g/t).