Geological Description
The gold is found in fissure veins in the Halifax Formation slates on the south limb of the McKay Settlement anticline. The rocks are cut by numerous faults which follow the general trend of a major disturbance called the Major Lake Fault.
The three main fissure veins called the Cope, East and West Leads strike roughly 340°Az and dip east at roughly 70°. The East Lode has been traced on surface for approximately 600 m and has been worked by eleven shafts, the deepest of which is 60 m. The mined material graded 1 oz 3 dwt 8 grs Au/ton. The vein strikes 340°Az and dips east from 50-70°. The veins are composed mostly of a collection of quartz stringers. The quartz has a brecciated appearance and contains considerable sulphide. A second vein called the Ridge Vein parallels the East Vein and is located 15 m west of it. It has been opened over 210 m with the deepest shaft being 12 m deep.
The West and Cope Leads are two distinct veins, but they converge in the northern portion of the worked area. The veins diverge on the surface in the southern area but converge at depth. The veins do not join into one but are separated by a layer of broken shale. The Cope Lead is found along the hangingwall of the fissure and the west lead along the footwall. The Cope Lead averages 1.2 m in width, strikes 340°Az and dips 77° east. The West Lode is found to the west of the Cope Lead and strikes 169°Az. The east side of the fissure moved north and downward at an angle of 48°.
Mineralization
A very interesting gold district as the style of Au mineralization is atypical of Meguma Group hosted Au deposits. The entire Au production for the district is from northwest-trending quartz fissure veins. No veins of the interbedded variety are present.
Mining
Gold was first discovered in Central Rawdon in 1887, and initial production was recorded in 1888. Work continued in the district intermittently until 1924, with several shafts being sunk on the Cope and the West Leads and the Church Lead.
Historic mining operations in the Central Rawdon Mining District resulted in a total reported production of 6,920.5 ounces of gold.
The last recorded exploration diamond drilling was in 1982.