Sherry Swain didn't heed the advice she was given over the years to remain a “housewife” and not become a prospector. If she had, a junior mining company wouldn't be searching for gold in an area of northeastern Ontario that is historically renowned for silver.

Swain obtained her prospecting licence in 1985 and began exploring and staking claims in the Dorset, Ont. area. When the Temagami land caution was lifted in the Gowganda area, the Sudbury native staked claims there.

Gowganda is 100 kilometres west of New Liskeard and 125 kilometres south of Timmins.

“I do a lot of research before I do my staking and exploration so I did some research on the Gowganda area,” she said. “The area right next to where I staked was an old silver camp and I looked at the geological structure and I thought we should be looking for gold here as well.”

After “poking around,” Swain said she came across a large carbonate zone in an area staked in 2004. She found some gold values there and more claims were staked.

In 2007, she came across an interesting sillicified rock that was well mineralized and assay results indicated 15 grams of gold.

“That was a shocker and pretty high. You don't usually get that kind of result from one sample,” she said.

The area was stripped and further sampling indicated gold values. She also discovered a green carbonate zone that also contained gold values.

“That rock was a real different type that no one had seen before in the area,” Swain said. “It was totally unique in the area.

“So I was finding gold in all these different environments that no one had looked before. It was unusual in where it was, in the Gowganda silver camp. It was kind of surprising.”