• Mount Sicker was the site of historical mining between mainly 1895-1915
• 300,000 tons of acid-generating waste rock and a number of other hazards were left behind
• A no chemical, closed-loop ore sorting process would remove over 95% of sulphides from the rock, including gold, copper, silver and zinc, but also mercury, arsenic, lead and sulphur
• No new “mining” would be done, hazards would be addressed, and the site would finally return to nature after over 100 years
• Removed high-sulphide material can be sold and the economics are potentially very attractive

Up to 500,000 tonnes of waste rock may be sitting at the old mining sites on Mount Sicker

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• Previous operations on Mount Sicker include Lenora, Richard III, Tyee, Victoria and Twin J mines (1895-1945)
• All work has left behind massive amounts of waste

• Historic mining operations have left behind old workings and a number of potentially life-threatening hazards
• The area is used extensively by locals and tourists for mountain biking, dirt biking, hiking, and other recreational activities
• As a part of any reclamation plan, known hazards would be addressed

• The waste will be crushed and sorted on-site using a mobile system
• High-grade waste and fines will be transported off-site to an advanced processing facility
• The entire process, once started, should be completed within a year

• 300,000 tons of waste or more, all in piles at surface and easily accessible
• Grid sampling program at surface found average values of 1.86 g/t gold, 48.6 g/t silver, 1.22% copper, and 3.05% zinc – but overall averages may be higher*
• 528kg ore sorting test-run returned high-grade material with 6.43 g/t gold, 180 g/t silver, 4.92% copper and 8.7% zinc – sorted ore will be sold and shipped off site*
• Overall mass pull from waste is expected to be in the 30-40%, which could produce in the range of 100,000 tons of high-grade material to sell
• High-grade material will be trucked to a nearby port (Crofton, Cowichan Bay, or similar) and shipped to an overseas processing facility – payment occurs on delivery to port

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*See Press Releases dated March 27, and October 9, 2024

• Testing was performed on Mount Sicker waste before and after being run through the ore sorting process
• Existing waste scored 0.2 neutralization – highly acidic
• Post sorting, remaining waste scored 5.3-6.3, which is “normal”
• PH levels went from 6.3 to 7.2 – again, acidic to normal
• Overall, 95% of contaminants were removed, including lead, arsenic, mercury and sulphur (but also gold, copper, silver and zinc)

• Permitting process is underway
• It is assumed the Province has a vested interest in addressing the waste and hazards
• Sasquatch must submit detailed surveys, processing plans, and a reclamation/closure strategy, all from qualified professionals – which is all in process
• The site is currently a waste dump, with potential ongoing leaching issues and potentially life-threatening physical hazards (including open mine shafts)
• The goal is to remove the high-sulphide (also high-grade mineral) waste, address the hazards, improve water runoff quality, and make the site safe for recreational use
• Community, local government and First Nations have expressed support

LOW CAPITAL INVESTMENT REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE CASH-FLOW

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• Processing partner SRI to provide technical support and all required ore sorting equipment in exchange for 50% of profits
• Once permitted, first delivery of 10,000 tons of high-grade material to port could occur within weeks
• Significant cash-flow can be achieved with minimal initial capital, some of which could be obtained through grants, debt, or other non-dilutive means

WHY WE THINK THIS APPROACH COULD BE “THE MODEL” GOING FORWARD:

Previous attempts to address waste-rock at old mining sites generally suggest small-scale processing on-site, which has the following issues:

• Requires MORE mining infrastructure, including new tailings ponds, which increases the mess
•  Takes many years before ANY reclamation can be done
• Creates new environmental risks

Sorting and shipping of waste rock has the following big advantages:

• All done using mobile infrastructure, with no “new” mess, and uses an existing facility off-site, for advanced processing
• Can be completed quickly, likely within months, so reclamation can begin almost right away
• Still removes the high-sulphide material (which also holds the valuable minerals), improving quality of future water run-off

Using an approved reclamation and remediation program, existing hazards will be fixed and the historical mining area will be re-contoured with new soil, trees and foliage brought in to help kick-start the natural revitalization process.

Reclaimed areas can be used as “learning zones” for future similar reclamation strategies to be applied elsewhere in BC, Canada and the world.

THE MOUNT SICKER RECLAMATION PROJECT WOULD:

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• Provide jobs for the Cowichan Valley
• Clean up a 125-year-old mess
• Result in the recovery of gold, silver, copper and zinc
• Repair a number of potentially life-threatening hazards
• Represent a rare ‘win-win’ environmentally and economically for the Cowichan Valley
• Serve as an example of how to deal with waste sites nationwide