The Dolphin past-producing copper-silver mine is located just to the east of the settlement of Olalla, about 5 kilometres north of Keremeos, in the Osoyoos Mining Division.

There is very little published information on this deposit; refer to the British Columbia Minfile page, current to November 1996.

Cairnes (1937) gave a capsule description of the deposit as follows: “The Dolphin property, including the Dolphin and Spar Fraction claims, lies east of Olalla within, but near, the southeastern border of a body of pyroxenite. The rocks have been crushed and sheared and mineralization has followed some of the fractures and been displaced by others. The principal ore minerals are chalcopyrite and pyrite and values arc principally in copper with some silver and gold (?).”

Giles Peatfield comments:

Official government records show that the total production in 1916 to 1918 was 145 tonnes of direct shipping ore from which 203 Troy ounces of silver and 7,225 kilograms of copper were recovered. There is no mention of any other metals having been produced.

Comments on the minerals reported:

Minfile lists ‘gossan’, after Freeland (1923) who described an “oxidized ‘capping’”, which one assumes is limonite. Freeland (1923) and Cairnes (1937) reported chalcopyrite and pyrite. Other minerals listed are described by Crooker (1981, 1986 and 1990) – note that calcite and galena are shown as questionable as they were described from workings slightly removed from the actual mine-site but which may well be present in the core area.

Comments on the rock types reported:

The rocks listed were mapped by Crooker (1990).

Research by Giles Peatfield, Courtenay, British Columbia.
Posting prepared 30 April, 2026.

Other Databases

Link to British Columbia Minfile:	082ESW012

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References