Old Nick nickel deposit, Bridesville, Greenwood Mining Division, British Columbia, Canadai

Regional Level Types
Old Nick nickel deposit	Deposit
Bridesville	- not defined -
Greenwood Mining Division	Division
British Columbia	Province
Canada	Country

The Old Nick nickel deposit is located about 4 kilometres east-northeast of the small community of Bridesville, on B.C. Highway No. 5, or about 61 kilometres south-southeast of Penticton,
British Columbia, in the Greenwood Mining Division.
There is an extensive description of the property on the British Columbia “Minfile” site, current to 2020. This includes a summary of the history of the property as well as a comprehensive description of the geology, parts of which are quoted below:
“The showings occur in rocks of the Permian to Carboniferous Anarchist Group. Seven east-northeast trending map units within the Anarchist Group have been identified. They are described as follows. The first unit is a fine to medium grained biotite schist with quartzite layers forming up to 15 per cent of the rock. Quartzite layers are either 2 to 30 centimetres or 3 to 4 metres thick. The mineral assemblage of the biotite schist includes biotite, quartz, plagioclase with minor hornblende, tourmaline and sphene. The second is a metasediment unit with minor layers of epidote and zoisite. The whole unit is estimated to be 122 metres thick. The metasediment is composed of predominantly massive tremolite with remnant pyroxene and includes minor amounts of sericite, chlorite and chrome mica (chromium-bearing phengite) and 1 to 2 per cent disseminated pyrite, locally occurring in zones of up to 20 per cent. This unit contains most of the nickel mineralization. The third is a quartzite-schist unit similar to the first unit, however, here the quartzite forms 60 per cent of the rock. The fourth unit is a massive greenstone that is probably metavolcanic rock. The fifth unit is a banded quartzite that contains thin layers of biotite and chlorite. Finally, there are two associated, altered ultramafic units. They are both composed of antigorite with accessory talc, anthophyllite and tremolite. The protolith of these units has been identified as dunite. The rock is massive and contains some disseminated pyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite. The serpentinite has been subdivided into sills or dikes based on crosscutting relationships. The dikes follow northwest trending interconnected fracture/fault zones that cross stratigraphy and the property. The serpentinite occurs as zones 0.10 to 10.00 metres thick. These serpentinites may actually be thin fault slices of ultramafic material, due to their structural control as described below. This would be more consistent with the regional occurrence of serpentinite in the area.” “Nickel mineralization is associated with pyrrhotite and pentlandite, found as widely spread disseminations within the serpentinite units and the major metasediment unit. Microscopic grains of pentlandite have been identified as intergrowths with pyrrhotite and pyrite. There is no correlation between pyrite and nickel mineralization. Diamond-drill hole core assay results show a range of 0.01 to 0.15 per cent nickel content in the serpentinite. Assay results from the metasediment unit range from 0.07 to 0.26 per cent nickel. The nickel mineralization is fairly uniform throughout the area examined, having an average range of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent.”
Giles Peatfield comments:
This is a somewhat unusual nickel deposit, in that the bulk of the mineralization appears to be contained in altered sedimentary rocks rather than in ultramafic intrusive rocks.
There has been no production from this deposit. Coope et al. (1968) wrote that “In consideration of drilling and trenching results to date, it is thought a considerable tonnage of mineralized rock grading approximately 0.15 to 0.25% nickel can be delineated by further drilling.” Kikauka (2021) summarized other resource estimates, as follows: “In 2000, Gold City Industries Ltd. under the direction of Mr. P. Cowley, an independent geological consultant at the time, prepared a new estimate based on the new 1996 guidelines. This sectional and weighted polygonal calculation estimated that the Old Nick deposit had an inferred mineral resource of 20.4 million tonnes at 0.19 % Ni at a cut-off of 0.13 %Ni and a specific gravity of 2.7 (Cowley, 2000). This
estimate conforms to the new CIM Mineral Resource Definitions and National Instrument 43-101 and Companion Policy 43-101CP but is also not current and is not reliable.”; and further “David Makepeace, P.Eng. (2007), of Geospectrum, and [a] Qualified Person under NI 43-101 was engaged by Merit Mining Corp. in[sic] to conduct a NI43-101 compliant resource estimate on Old Nick in 2010. Mr. Makepeace defined an Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 17.24 million tonnes at a grade of 0.1914 %Ni and 0.0095 %Co, with a nickel cut off grade of 0.14 %Ni. This is not a current reserve and is not reliable.” The best that can be said about the Old Nick deposit is that it contains a modest tonnage of material with a nickel grade below economic interest.

Comments on the Minerals Reported:
For more details of the rock types mentioned in this section, refer to notes below in the ‘Rock types reported’ section.
Amphibole group: Coope et al. (1968) and Eastwood (1969) both mentioned tremolite and hornblende; Enns (1971) added actinolite to the list.
Anthophyllite: Coope et al. (1968) noted that “The microscopic studies suggest that the primary olivine has been replaced by tremolite and anthophyllite, . . .”
Antigorite: Eastwood (1969) describing microscopic studies of the rocks, wrote that “The alteration minerals [of the altered dunite] include magnetite, brown chrysotile (both of which contribute to the dark colour), antigorite, serpophite, chlorite, tremolite, locally anthopyllite, and minor carbonate.”
Calcite: This is common in the metasedimentary rocks. Eastwood (1969) wrote that “It [metagreywacke] passes westward to meta-argillite that is conspicuously banded with calcite. These bands show crenulated dragfolds indicative of up-dip overriding, and probably represent thin limestone beds.”
Chalcopyrite: This is reported by all workers. Enns (1971) wrote that “Chalcopyrite occurs in rare amounts only. In all cases it occurs with other sulphides, pyrites [sic], and more commonly pyrrhotite. Invariably, chalcopyrite occupies the sulphide-silicate grain boundary . . . .”
Chlorite group: This is commonly reported as ‘chlorite’, but no-one has given any further detail.
Chromite: Enns (1971), describing the dunite mineralization, wrote that “Accessory opaque minerals include hematite and chromite. Hematite is believed to be a secondary alteration mineral after magnetite, and chromite is not abundant.”
Chrysotile: See note above for antigorite.
Clinopyroxene: Enns (1971), describing the tuffs, wrote that “The dark green matrix of the rock is composed of medium-grained crystals of clinopyroxene and 10 to 15 percent zoisite. Large crystals of clinopyroxene show uniform extinction, are commonly poikolitic, and show evidence of moderate corrosion. These larger grains are augite whereas the small grains are diopside and appear to be secondary in origin.”
Clinozoisite: Eastwood (1969), regarding the putative ‘quartzite’, wrote: “The typical altered rock is fine grained, hard, and vitreous, white to light grey in colour, and contains closely spaced, narrow dark bands about 1 millimetre thick. It resembles sheared or sheeted quartzite, and has been so identified in one report. Thin-sections disclose, however, that the rock consists largely of tremolite, with some remnant pyroxene and minor quartz and micas replacing the tremolite, and that the dark bands are wisps of epidote, zoisite, and clinozoisite, with sporadic remnants of feldspar.”
Cordierite: Enns (1971), reporting on thin section study of the meta-argillite (see note below in the ‘Rock types reported’ section) wrote that “One specimen studied contains large cordierite crystals displaying characteristic polysynthetic twinning. Cordierite is pockmarked with retrograde alteration products, fine-grained sericite and chlorite displaying an anomalous "Berlin blue" interference color. Similar alteration is also common around edges of cordierite grains.”
Epidote group: See notes above for clinozoisite and below for zoisite.
Feldspar group: Coope et al. (1968) and Eastwood (1969) both reported ‘plagioclase’; Enns (1971) reported ‘feldspar’. No-one gave any further details.
Garnet group: Enns (1971) noted several instances of thin sections of altered sedimentary rocks with small amounts of ‘garnet’, but gave no further details.
Graphite: Coope et al. (1968), described the mineralized quartzite as follows: “The rock is typically a fine grained grey to grey-black quartzite, often with thin (11/2 to 1 millimeter) contorted laminae of now silicified graphite.”, although it is not clear what they meant by ‘silicified graphite’. Enns’ (1971) description of the meta-argillite noted that “Dark coloration of the rock is caused by dissemination of fine-grained graphite particles.”
Hematite: See note above for chromite.
Limonite: Coope et al. (1968) wrote that “Unit 2 [the quartzite] is often heavily limonite stained and badly fractured.” Enns (1971) noted ‘secondary iron oxides’ in thin sections of the tuff unit, and in various other rock types.
Magnetite: Magnetite is common here, often associated with sulfides.
Mica group: Several mica varieties have been reported in the various rocks at Old Nick. Coope et al. (1968) reported sericite, biotite and ‘chrome mica’. Eastwood (1969) reported ‘micas’, and further commented that “The green mica is deduced from its maximum refractive index and from a spectrochemical analysis to be a chromium phengite containing more chromium than the type mariposite.” Enns (1971) reported sericite and biotite, as well as a mineral that he identified as ‘fuchsite’, writing that “There is some question about the green mica here referred to as mineral X, which is confined exclusively to wavy bands, and imparts a green color to the quartzite. Eastwood (1968) deduced it to be a chrome phengite, more chrome rich than the type mariposite. However, studies on the basis of careful β measurement and chemical analysis would favour the conclusion that it resembles closely the mineral fuchsite . . . . An X-ray diffractometer pattern run on mineral X indicates a pattern identical to that of muscovite.” Enns (1971) was of the opinion, based on analytical data, that the Cr content of the mineral was well in excess of that generally regarded as appropriate for mariposite.
Olivine: Eastwood (1969) wrote that “The ultramafic dyke is a dense black rock containing seams of white to green serpentine. No entirely fresh rock was found, but in some places distant from contacts and shear zones substantial olivine has survived.” Enns (1971), describing the dunite, wrote that “Olivine content varies from 15 to as much as 40 percent, and occurs as small relict grains (0.01 mm to 0.25) mm in a characteristic mesh pattern with interstitial serpentine and magnetite.”
Orthopyroxene group: Coope et al. noted relics of porphyritic crystals of hypersthene in a rock they regarded as an altered norite – see note below in the rock types reported section.
Pentlandite: Coope et al. (1968) described two types of pentlandite occurrence: “In peridotitic dunite rocks as pentlandite occluded in pyrrhotite. Pentlandite and pyrrhotite both occur in amphiboles, serpentine, and talc in the altered dunite.”; and “In a pyrometasomatic quartzite . . . , pentlandite occurs as minute intergrowths with pyrrhotite and pyrite, in fine sericitic-chloritic veinlets.” Enns (1971) wrote that in the dunite mineralization, “Pentlandite is associated with pyrrhotite in all instances and although it may constitute as much as 80 percent of sulphide grains in some places . . . it normally comprises approximately one-third of the sulphides. There are three modes of occurrence: 1) large grains within pyrrhotite displaying isometric cleavage fracturing . . . ; 2) as fine lamellae; 3) as minute flame or brush structures . . . . The pentlandite grains may vary in size from 0.1 mm to as large as 0.5 mm. The lamellae and flame structures tend to occur more frequently in small sulphide grains, and are characteristically very fresh and unfractured unlike the larger pentlandite grains.” and he further stated that “Pentlandite in the quartzite is strongly associated with pyrrhotite. Unlike the fractured and altered large grains of subhedral pentlandite in dunites, pentlandite in quartzite always looks fresh, and occurs largely as irregular forms in pyrrhotite to maximum width of 0.4 mm. No cleavage traces can be seen in pentlandite. The larger anhedral pentlandite grains maintain a seriate contact with pyrrhotite and in rare cases occupy more than one-half the total sulphide (pentlandite-pyrrhotite) area. Also common are the lamellae of pentlandite measuring 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm in length, and brush or flame structures . . . . One case of intergranular pentlandite within a pyrrhotite mosaic has been observed . . .”
Pyrite: This is common throughout the deposit.
Pyrrhotite: This is common throughout the deposit.
Quartz: This is common throughout the deposit.
Serpentine: This is a common mineral in the deposit, most notably in the altered dunite. Eastwood (1969) referred to this as ‘serpophite’ (see note above for antigorite). Serpophite is regarded as a synonym of serpentine.
Sphalerite: Coope et al. (1968) noted that in the mineralized sedimentary rocks “Trace quantities of chalcopyrite and sphalerite have been identified [in section], and these minerals are also intergrown with the pyrite.”
Talc: Coope et al. (1968) noted that microscopic examination showed that “The dyke rock is an altered peridotite near dunite in composition. The rock is intensely serpentinized and variably replaced by tremolite, anthophyllite, chlorite and talc.”
Titanite: Coope et al. (1968), describing the meta-shales (presumably they meant the meta-argillites), noted that “Microscopically, the biotite laminae consist of biotite-quartz-plagioclase and quartz-hornblende assemblages with minor tourmaline and sphene [titanite], biotite being the principal constituent.”
Tourmaline group: See note above for titanite. No further details are available.
Violarite: Enns (1971), reporting on polished section analysis, wrote that “Violarite, (NiFe)3S4 is identified as such on the basis of its occurrence, violet gray color, isotropic character, and cleavage which is rarely discernable. Plates . . . illustrate the preferential replacement of pentlandite by violarite starting at the borders of pentlandite grains and in cleavage fractures (Plate . . .), then progressive replacement of greater amounts of pentlandite with advancing alteration . . . .”
Zircon: Enns (1971) noted several instances of zircon in the various igneous rocks of the Nelson plutonic suite (see note below for granodiorite in rock types section for more on the Nelson intrusions).
Zoisite: See note above for clinozoisite. Enns (1971) wrote that the meta-argillites “. . . have a phyllitic character distinguished by crenulated discontinuous bands of fine-grained amphibole mixed with epidote, zoisite, and iron oxides.”

Rock types reported:
The numerous rock types in the deposit and immediate surrounding area have been well
described in the various reports on the property. Most of the names are based on field
identification, although some more detailed work is reported in some cases. Many of the details
of this work have already been covered in the minerals section above.

Comments on the rock types Reported:
Dunite: Eastwood (1969) wrote that “The ultramafic dyke is a dense black rock containing seams of white to green serpentine. No entirely fresh rock was found, but in some places distant from contacts and shear zones substantial olivine has survived. Pyroxene was not found, and the rock is altered dunite.” Enns (1971) stated that “Within the grid area, Permian sedimentary and volcanic rocks form the Anarchist Group which is intruded by a magnesia-rich alpine dunite of Jurassic age.”
Granodiorite: Enns (1971) mapped granodiorite dykes cross-cutting the host stratigraphy. These are presumably off-shoots from the Cretaceous Nelson intrusions.
Greenstone: Coope, et al. (1968) wrote that in the grid area “Greenstone is typically a highly altered, very fine grained, greenish-black basic rock. It contains numerous small stringers of quartz and calcite and up to 2% disseminated pyrite. Magnetite is sparsely distributed through the rock. This greenstone is thought to be a highly metamorphosed volcanic flow.” Enns (1971) described these rocks in some detail: “The volcanic rocks are also referred to as greenstones since they are altered, containing primarily amphibole, feldspar, epidote and chlorite, and are cut by numerous calcite veins. They are fine-grained and massive, but the more altered varieties are somewhat schistose because of higher chlorite content. Magnetite commonly fills minute fractures in the fresher rock. However, no flows, pillows, or primary structures other than deformed recrystallized amygdales can be recognized.”
Greywacke: See note below for metagreywacke.
Hornfels: Eastwood (1969) wrote that “Within the area of altered rock are small patches of chlorite-mica phyllite, mica hornfels, and a wispy hornblende-plagioclase schist. The original rock in the area of alteration was probably largely sedimentary, with possibly some interbedded or admixed volcanic material.”
Meta-argillite: See note below for metagreywacke.
Metagreywacke: Eastwood (1969) wrote that “Metagreywacke is displayed in rock cuts of the old railway grade to the south of the approximate eastern end of the altered area. It is more or less calcareous and hornblendic. It passes westward to meta-argillite that is conspicuously banded with calcite. These bands show crenulated dragfolds indicative of up-dip overriding, and probably represent thin limestone beds. This banded rock is underlain by less calcareous meta-argillite containing some gritty greywacke.”
Norite: Coope et al. (1968), describing igneous veinlets intrusive into quartzites, wrote that “Veinlets display sharp contact boundaries with the host quartzite and appear to have been injected into the quartzite as a fluid or as microscopic apophyses of an igneous intrusive. Relic textures in these injections are porphyritic and indicate a, primary composition near norite with porphyritic crystals of hypersthene.”
Peridotite: Coope et al. (1968), describing ultrabasic dyke rocks, wrote that a thin section analysis showed that “The dyke rock is an altered peridotite near dunite in composition. The rock is intensely serpentinized and variably replaced by tremolite, anthophyllite, chlorite and talc.”
Phyllite: See note above for hornfels.
Quartz diorite: Coope et al. (1968) wrote that “On the extreme northeast portion of the grid area a quartz diorite phase of the Nelson Intrusives is exposed.”
Quartzite: This is one of the principal host rock types for the deposit. Coope et al. (1968) wrote that “The quartzite is typically highly silicified and altered and the original lithology of this zone is somewhat speculative. Although this unit now has the composition and general texture of a badly altered quartzite, relic meta-shale textures in this unit suggest it may be, at least in part, a zone of intense silicification.” Enns (1971) wrote that “The mineralized quartzite shows a consistent mineralogy of quartz, fuchsite, sulphide and small amounts of fine grained biotite. Estimated visible sulphide in hand specimen varies from 3 to as high as 15 percent. The mineralized quartzite is usually fine grained, light greenish gray in color and appears to be composed largely of pure quartz and wavy bands of fine grained fuchsite.”
Schist: See note above for hornfels.

Posting prepared 06 April, 2025.
Research by Giles Peatfield, Courtenay, British Columbia.
edited by Doug Scott, Ottawa

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Link to British Columbia Minfile:	082ESW055

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References