Foothills
Location
Charlevoix and Laurentides
Wildlife Reserve (Québec)
Area
28,347 ha
Commodities
Fe-Ti-P (magmatic)
Status
100% Vior Gold Corporation
The Foothills Project is located approximately 90 km northeast of Québec City, within the mountainous regions of Charlevoix and the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. The presence of massive ilmenite lenses has been known in the St‑Urbain area since the beginning of French settlement in the 17th century, and nine deposits were mined between 1871 and 1977.The discovery in 2009 of a large dispersal field of glacially transported boulders of rutile‑bearing ilmenite, with grades of up to 57.6% TiO₂, renewed interest in this commodity. This discovery attracted Vior Gold Corporation in 2014, which, at the time, was seeking diversification opportunities and initiated exploration activities in the region.
Geology and Mineralization
The central part of the Grenville Province is characterized by the presence of large anorthosite complexes emplaced through crustal magmatism. The dispersal trains of glacially transported erratic boulders partly overlie two of these massifs—the St‑Urbain anorthosite and the Lac Malbaie anorthosite—which are approximately 15 km apart, as well as their contact rocks. These intrusions are multiphase in nature and locally include more mafic units (gabbro and pyroxenite). They are surrounded by a host‑rock envelope composed of the jotunite–mangerite–charnockite (JMC) suite. As a result of the numerous historical deposits and showings, including those more recently identified by Vior Gold Corporation, these anorthosites are considered fertile for iron, titanium, and phosphorus oxide mineralization. The presence of intergranular rutile within certain hemo‑ilmenite showings in both intrusions is highly unusual and distinctive when compared to most other Grenvillian anorthosites.
Exploration Work History
Historical and sporadic prospecting, geophysical surveys, and drilling programs were primarily focused on occurrences of massive hemo‑ilmenite. Vior Gold Corporation, at the time in partnership with the Australian mining company Iluka, directed its exploration strategy by tracing trains of glacially transported boulders composed of rutile‑bearing massive ilmenite. One of the source areas was identified through drilling (the Grand Duc West showing) within the Lac Malbaie anorthosite. For phosphorus exploration, Vior Gold Corporation’s prospecting efforts were instead concentrated along an OAGN (oxide‑apatite‑gabbro‑norite) horizon near the margin of the St‑Urbain anorthosite. The project is currently on hold, and Vior Gold Corporation is seeking a partner to advance the exploration program.
