News Leader News for January 27, 2009
COUNCIL OKAYS HOUSING VARIANCE
A developer who asked for a setback variance to build affordable housing on Billiter Avenue was opposed by several local residents owning nearby properties. The opposition presented a petition, letters and a presentation at the January 5 Town Council meeting.
The developer received permission from Council at the January 19 public meeting, but there was a strong vocal response, out of order, from one of the people who had opposed the variance.
Mayor Randy McLean introduced the matter by saying the permit conformed to zoning, the Official Community Plan and the need for affordable housing. Councillor Frank Armitage said he had gone to the property, which was the former OAP Hall, and agreed to allow the setback variance.
Councillor Jason Earle said he had gone to the site, found it met all requirements, and added that the affordable housing consultant expressed Princeton’s luck in finding such an investor.
Both Councillor Marilyn Harkness and Councillor Ray Jarvis agreed.
When the motion to permit the variance had passed, one of the people opposing the development spoke loudly, out of order, saying there should be more opportunity to speak. Mayor McLean said Council had heard the objections at the last Council meeting, and the matter was closed.
At this point, the protester again spoke out loudly and voiced his objection to the proceeding, saying it was not democratic and not fair. He was settled down by another person attending the meeting, but the protests continued while he walked out of Town Hall.
MUSEUM SOCIETY STARTS NEW YEAR
The 2009 executive of Princeton & District Museum and Archives Society was elected January 20 at the annual general meeting. The previous year’s executive was returned to office by acclamation: President Evelyn McCallum, Vice-President Brenda Gould, Secretary-Treasurer Lori Thomas, and Directors Jim Pincock and Kathy Clement.
President McCallum welcomed Councillor Frank Armitage, who is Council’s liaison with the Museum Society, and Area H Director Brad Hope. representing Regional District Okanagan-Similkameen.
The meeting began with a minute of silence to honour the memory of Gloria Stout, who passed away during the winter recess. Stout was one of the three women who founded the museum in 1958, and continued to be active with the society until her health failed.
The financial report indicated a continuing sound financial structure, although donations from visitors did not reflect the record 6,141 who visited the museum.
Nick Mills, Operations Manager, gave the activity report for the year. He was busy with a lot of planning for the museum expansion which will take place when the library moves to the former Goldion Restaurant location on Vermilion Avenue. Mills was able to hire and train four students through government grants.
The customary work of maintaining the historic photographs records and the cemetery records for both Princeton and Coalmont continued, along with assistance to people seeking genealogical information.
Mills wrote historical articles for the News Leader and provided artifacts for display in shop windows as part of the BC 150 celebration. In addition, the museum played a role in the Traditional Music Festival held in August.
Members gave a vote of thanks to Mills for his dedicated work in 2008.
Mills stated he will be applying for student employment grants in the near future.
The Princeton 150 celebration plans are in the works. Mills said he will be writing a series of articles on the history of Princeton and these will be compiled into book form to be sold in 2010. Jon Bartlett and Rika Ruebsaat are doing research on the wit and wisdom of Princeton from old newspapers.
These will be featured in a book about Princeton to be sold as a souvenir for the Princeton 150 celebration year.
On Friday, members met at the museum to review architectural plans for the museum expansion. The next meeting of the Museum Society will be held February 10 at 2:30 PM in the basement of the tourist information centre. New members are welcome to attend.
CMMC RELEASES FINAL DRILL PROGRAM RESULTS
Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (CMMC) released the balance of assay results from their 2008 exploration program on January 21st.
A total of 63,126 metres of drilling was completed making this one of the largest exploration drilling programs in Canada. The 2008 program was successful in extending known mineralized zones, and in defining new areas of mineralization. A number of the drilling successes also demonstrated significant correlation of copper mineralization with the Titan 24 geophysical results.
The objectives of the drilling program were to increase the size and grade of the overall resource base, particularly in areas adjacent to and below the currently defined Super-pit area, and discover and/or define new zones of mineralization. In addition, a certain amount of condemnation and geotechnical drilling was required in order to move forward with mine development.
All assay data has now been received, compiled, verified and incorporated into the extensive project database and the previously reported, December 2007 resource estimate, is currently being updated with the 2008 results. All data can be viewed at the company’s website. Following completion of the new resource estimate, the company will refine existing mine plans to further optimize the project.
The most significant results of the program came from the area to the west of Pit 2, termed the Copper King zone, from depth extensions in the Pit 3 area, expansion and delineation of the Mill Zone and expansion and upgrading of the Oriole deposit. Additional results were also obtained from drill holes filling in some of the remaining gaps within the Saddle zone.
COPPER KING
Drilling to the west of Pit 2, in the Copper King zone, has extended mineralization by 2,000 feet to the west. The defined area of mineralization measures 2,000 feet (west of Pit 2) by 2,000 feet (north of Pit 1) and to depths of 1,000 feet. Mineralization remains open to the west and at depth.
Drilling was carried out on approximately 200 foot spacing of inclined holes. An east-west trending band, approximately 200 to 300 feet wide, of mineralization grading above the 0.5% copper range forms a core to the mineralized zone and correlates very well with the core of the very high Titan 24 chargeability anomaly. The chargeability anomaly extends to depths in excess of 2,600 feet.
Some of the more significant intersections include drill holes: P2-67 with 400 feet of 0.79% Cu Eq., P2-130 with 250 feet of 0.60% Cu Eq., and P2-140 with 390 feet of 0.46% Cu Eq. Drill hole p2-151, is the most north-westerly hole in the zone and intersected a near surface zone of 280 feet grading 0.42% Cu, with additional lower grade intersections at depth. This step-out hole confirms that the zone remains open to the northwest and that additional drilling is warranted in this area for the Company’s 2009 exploration program.
PIT 3 AREA
Drilling in the Pit 3 area was conducted to define additional resources in the pit walls and to extend mineralization to depth. Drilling in the pit walls was successful in intersecting mineralization in areas peripheral to known mineralization and in some new areas, particularly along the north-eastern wall in a trend highlighted by the Titan 24 geophysical survey. Deep drilling below Pit 3 was successful at demonstrating the extension of mineralization to depth.
Drill hole P3-08 was 3,000 feet in length drilled from the eastern edge of Pit 3 and intersected four zones of mineralization. The deepest of which was 322 feet (254 feet in horizontal thickness) grading 1.5% Cu Eq. and occurs 1,200 feet below the current pit bottom and 600 feet below the bottom of the Feasibility design pit.
Subsequent drill holes confirmed the continuity of mineralization to these depths and geophysical data indicates that chargeability anomalies extend to much greater depths.
ORIOLE ZONE
Twenty drill holes were completed in the Oriole Zone, an extension of the Copper Mountain trend to the southeast of Pit 3, and resulted in an expansion of mineralization with significant high grades. Drill hole OL-07 intersected 131 feet grading 1.44% Cu Eq. and nearby OL-17 intersected 119 feet of 2.31% Cu Eq.
The Oriole zone is a relatively small area but may provide an economically significant starter pit which would likely merge into Pit 3, resulting in a southeasterly expansion of the Super-pit by more than 1,000 feet. Additional drilling is warranted in this area and will be incorporated into the Company’s 2009 exploration program.
SADDLE ZONE
The saddle area between Pit 2 and Pit 3 was predominately drilled during the 2007 program but the block model for the Feasibility study indicated a number of untested areas at depth where resources could be developed. An additional six holes were completed to test some of the barren areas. Results were modestly favourable with potential to add to the resource base in this area.
MILL ZONE
The Mill Zone area is a small plateau area just to the east of Pit 2. Initial condemnation drilling related to the proposed crusher location identified some broad zones of lower grade disseminated mineralization with some bands of higher grade mineralization.
A wide spaced drill grid was subsequently established over the area. A total of 23 drill holes were completed and indicate a large area of 1,400 by 2,300 feet of generally, low-grade mineralization, with some higher grade sections. Potential development of this area will be dependent upon the results from the current resource estimation and subsequent mine planning.
The mineralized system at Copper Mountain is classified as a bulk-tonnage, alkalic porphyry copper deposit that is hosted within Nicola Group volcanic rocks. Mineralization is structurally controlled and focused at multi-directional vein intersections and within vein stockwork systems. Drill holes are usually drilled at angles of -45 or -55 degrees to provide the best indication of the lateral extents of vertically oriented mineralization.
The Copper Mountain project is located 300-kilometres outside of Vancouver. The Copper Mountain project is a former producer of just under 2-billion pounds of copper and as a result has extensive infrastructure in place, including power and water.
The site can be accessed year round via a paved public road to the mine gate, 20-kilometres from the Town of Princeton.
CMMC has the goal of developing the Copper Mountain Project as a mid-tier copper and precious metal producer within the next three years.
Additional information is available on the Company’s web page at www.CuMtn.com
