About Us
BC Placer Gold Claims was born from the need of consumers in British Columbia to find gold claims at REASONABLE prices, with good access and in known good gold areas of the Province. Walter Rawlinson, a licensed Realtor, has brought his many years of experience with Recreational Real Estate to BC Placer Gold Claims.
What should I look for when buying a claim?
When looking for a gold claim, some of the most important things to look for are;
Does it have access from a "nice" road.
Does it have access to the creek/river or do I need a mountain goat to get there.
Is it near other active proven claims.
Is it safe for you and your family.
Has it recently been machine mined. (The Province of BC was worked quite heavily around 1858 during the "BC Gold Rush" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_gold_rushes) and the "Cariboo Gold Rush" (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cariboo-gold-rush/) but the wooden handmade sluice boxes of the time didn't do a very good job of catching the smaller gold plus lots of fine gold has washed down the creeks and rivers every year since then.) Barkerville Area Gold Rush - https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/exhibits/bc-archives-time-machine/galler04/frames/strikes.htm
Is there time left on the claim before a work report must be submitted or additional payments made. (Each year you have to work a claim and submit a work report or make a payment instead of work to keep the claim.)
Is it a real Placer Gold Claim or a Mineral Hard Rock Claim someone is trying to pass off has a Placer Gold Claims.
Are you going to get 100% ownership of the claim or do you have to share the claim with 100's of other people and pay a fee year after year forever.
Section 60.2 of the Mineral Tenure Act requires that we post the following - Warning -- This property is offered for mining purposes only and ownership of the title to it does not include ownership of the surface rights or the rights to use the surface for residential or recreational purposes.
What you need to have a claim transferred into your name:
- BusinessBCeID ( https://www.bceid.ca/register/business/getting_started/getting_started.a px )
When completing the BCeID, if you don't already have a business choose "Sole Proprietor" as your business type, and when asked what government service you want access to choose "MTO - Mineral Titles Online" - a Free Miners Certificate ( https://www.dropbox.com/s/lcio2r0f939ax1v/MineralTitlesBC-FMC-IndividualForm.pdf?dl=0)
I can help you get these and help you with the process if you don't already have them. They are also available from your local Service BC location. Here is the link to all the Service BC locations; http://www.servicebc.gov.bc.ca/locations/ The BCeID is free and the Free Miners Certificate(FMC) is $25 per year until you are 65 then its free every year after that. You must be a Canadian Resident to get a FMC.
Residents from Alberta are allowed and welcome to get a BCeID and FMC. Contact us if you have any questions.
Steps to receive a gold claim transfer in BC Mineral Titles Online.
You must have an FMC and BCeID in order to accept a transfer of a claim.
- https://www.mtonline.gov.bc.ca/mtov/home.do
- Choose yellow login button
- Enter your BCeID and Password and choose “next”
- Choose “next” again to get to the main menu
- Choose the tab that says “Title Management”
- Choose the option that says “Placer Title Transfer of Ownership (Bill of Sale Completion)”
- Choose yellow “Next” Button
- There will be an outstanding event number. Choose the event number by clicking on it.
- Will ask you is you want to accept a transfer. Click “Next”
- Asks again if you want to accept transfer. Click “Next” again
- Will then say “The event has been successfully saved”
What can I do on a claim?
On Gold Claims in BC you can pan for gold at the creek/river using a shovel and pan. You can run equipment such as a water pump with a 1.5" intake and a sluice box or highbanker 3 meters or more from the rivers edge (and you must ensure the waste water does not run back directly into the creek/river.) You can feed the sluice with a shovel only with gravel up to the water line. This is how most people get gold at creeks and rivers.
If you just want to work the area hand mining with a shovel into a sluice or highbanker, then you need to follow these rules.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1th2lkfre3sr0si/2.%20Placer%20Gold%20HAND%20Mining%20in%20BC%20Rules%20and%20Guidelines.pdf?dl=0
If you want to mechanically mine, with some type of machine that moves earth mechanically, then you need additional permit(s). See this document from BC Minerals explains what you have to do if you want to work a claim with a machine or machines. (A waterpump with 1.5" intake and a highbanker or sluice are not considered mechanical machines.)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/geaxikc8hn2ucr4/1. Placer Information-MACHINE Placer Mining, NoW in BC.pdf
Check out our partner Stoney River Ventures for Gold Mining Equipment for sale featuring Gold Hog(tm) Matting at http://stoneyriverventures.com/
What is the height of the Fraser River (and other rivers) during the year?
The above chart shows the monthly water levels of the Fraser River at Hope, BC. All the rivers in BC surge at pretty much the same time of the year so you can use this chart to approximate what the water levels will be at your local river.
Real-Time Hydrometric Water Flow Data Map Search
What applications can I download to use my smartphone as a GPS to help find the location and boundar
There are a couple of GPS applications you can use;
iPhone and Android; Commander Compass Lite
iPhone App link; https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/commander-compass-lite/id340268949?mt=8
Android App link; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details id=it.lsa.compasscommanderlite&hl=en
GPS Motion X;
Iphone App link; https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/motionx-gps/id299949744?mt=8
