Sproat Mountain claims, Sproat Mountain, 4 miles north of Arrowhead, British Columbia

The Sproat Mountain claims were a chrysotile prospect in eastern British Columbia, which the U.S. Bureau of Mines' Minerals Yearbook placed "4 miles north of Arrowhead, B. C."² Asbestos, the industry's trade journal, described the deposit in 1949 as near Arrowhead "in the Monashee Mountains, and on the Columbia River, at the northern end of Upper Arrow Lake," while a 1950 item put Sproat Mountain "twenty miles southeast of Revelstoke."^1,3 The journal said a specimen sent to it in 1949 showed "a very good grade of chrysotile asbestos."¹

The sources name different companies: in December 1949 Robert Sanderson, president of Acme Asbestos Cement Ltd. of Vancouver, told Asbestos that his company "has an option on the property" and planned "diamond drilling, stripping, etc., in the spring."¹ The yearbook for 1949, citing the Northern Miner, reported that the Acme Asbestos Co., Ltd., "optioned a group of chrysotile asbestos claims on Sproat Mountain," and said "the extent of the deposit is not known."² In November 1950 Asbestos reported that the Pacific Asbestos Corporation Ltd. of Vancouver "was formed in 1949 to acquire and develop the deposit," buying the claims from J. T. Lauther and D. McIntosh, "the former being the prospector who discovered and staked them more than 40 years ago."³ That item said open cuts dug in 1949 showed "both 'slip' and 'cross' fibre," that a diamond-drilling contract had been let, and that the purchase agreement "calls for start of production by September 1951."³

In 1953 the yearbook reported that Western Asbestos & Development, Ltd., was working to develop "the Revelstoke" property, "on Sproat Mountain, only 2½ miles from the Canadian Pacific Railway," where "a program of mapping, trenching, and prospect drilling is planned."⁵ It described "crossfiber veins up to ⅝ inch long, also as slip fiber up to 5 inches long."⁵ Asbestos reported that year that the company held "an option on eight claims" and owned "15 additional claims in the Revelstoke area."⁴ In 1958 the journal reported exploratory work in southern British Columbia, where "various asbestos bearing formations occur on Sproat Mountain near Revelstoke."⁶

The documents describe this as a deposit or prospect: they report exploration or describe the deposit, not mining for sale.³

Location

Year by year

Every statement about this mine in the documents, in each document's own words, by the year it is about.

1949

• Fiber: “a very good grade of chrysotile asbestos”, p. 18¹
• Ownership: “their company has an option on the property” (Acme Asbestos Cement Ltd.), said by Acme Asbestos Cement Ltd., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 18¹
• Reserves: “the extent of the deposit is not known” (Acme Asbestos Co., Ltd.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 8²
• Ownership: “optioned a group of chrysotile asbestos claims on Sproat Mountain” (Acme Asbestos Co., Ltd.), as reported by Northern Miner, p. 8²
• Exploration: “Open cuts dug in 1949 show the presence of asbestos, both "slip" and "cross" fibre” (Pacific Asbestos Corporation Ltd.), p. 41³
• Ownership: “acquired the claims from J. T. Lauther and D. McIntosh ... discovered and staked them more than 40 years ago” (Pacific Asbestos Corporation Ltd.), p. 41³
• Ownership: “formed in 1949 to acquire and develop the deposit of asbestos on Sproat Mountain” (Pacific Asbestos Corporation Ltd.), p. 41³
• Description: “near Arrowhead ... in the Monashee Mountains”, p. 18¹

1950

• Exploration: “expects to proceed with development work in the way of diamond drilling, stripping” (Acme Asbestos Cement Ltd.), said by Acme Asbestos Cement Ltd., as reported by Asbestos (magazine), p. 18¹
• Exploration: “Diamond drilling contract has been awarded to T. Connors Diamond Drilling Company” (Pacific Asbestos Corporation Ltd.), p. 41³

1951

• Opened: “The property purchase agreement calls for start of production by September 1951” (Pacific Asbestos Corporation Ltd.), p. 41³

1953

• Fiber: “chrysotile” (Western Asbestos & Development Ltd.), p. 18⁴
• Ownership: “The Company has an option on eight claims and owns by location 15 additional claims in the Revelstoke area” (Western Asbestos & Development Ltd.), p. 18⁴
• Exploration: “A program of mapping, trenching, and prospect drilling is planned” (Western Asbestos & Development, Ltd.), p. 9⁵
• Fiber: “The asbestos is of the chrysotile variety and occurs in crossfiber veins up to ⅝ inch long, also as slip fiber up to 5 inches long” (Western Asbestos & Development, Ltd.), p. 9⁵
• Description: “The second property, on Sproat Mountain, only 2½ miles from the Canadian Pacific Railway, is more promising” (Western Asbestos & Development, Ltd.), p. 9⁵
• Exploration: “the Revelstoke” (Western Asbestos & Development, Ltd.), p. 8⁵

1958

• Exploration: “various asbestos bearing formations occur on Sproat Mountain near Revelstoke”, p. 10⁶

Other names

Documents call this mine “chrysotile asbestos claims on Sproat Mountain”, “Revelstoke”, “property, on Sproat Mountain”, “Sproat Mountain deposit”.

References

1. Asbestos Magazine, 1949, December 1949 (December 1, 1949), p. 18.
2. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1949 (January 1, 1950), p. 8.
3. Asbestos Magazine, 1950, November 1950 (November 1, 1950), p. 41.
4. Asbestos Magazine, 1953, May 1953 (May 1, 1953), p. 18.
5. Minerals Yearbook: Asbestos Chapters, 1953 (January 1, 1954), pp. 8–9.
6. Asbestos Magazine, 1958, October 1958 (October 1, 1958), p. 10.