When I was younger, I hung out in a shop where the owner made jewelry. He had carpet and I would have loved to vacuum it for later panning. I was able to eyeball gold sometimes. It would have been great to "help" him clean...

Good luck and I hope you find some good samples.

Ive read that Ontario (Hastings etc) doesn't have placer gold, but you seem to pick out the odd spec here n there. I would rather pan than dig into caves etc.. haha. Is Ontario really that bad for placer gold?

What you read is pretty much correct. I had placer claims on historic gold creeks in BC and even there was difficult to get gold. There are some people with secret spots that claim to do well out your way. I have also heard of some places further north

I have not yet found gold in a northern Ontario creek, but have heard some stories. I plan on giving it a go at the end of the May in a few spots, when I am there anyway.

any luck

I wonder over the years how much fine gold I have lost due to surface tension?

It is difficult to find a good spot to pan that isn't private in eastern Ontario. However, a few of the locations have produced some gold. Good luck on your adventures

I have a hand dredge that pumps dirt into a bucket. I will take it next time. What I would really like to try in the right spot is my 3" dredge, but I think it is probably verboten in Ontario, like BC.

No, but I recall someone panning dirt from the cracks in the sidewalks of New York. With that same theme, I was thinking it would be interesting to crevice some cracks from the old gold district or Bay Street in Toronto.

Cody's Lab

I have been places in BC where the gold was 5'-10' into fractured bedrock. Sneaky stuff that goes as deep as it can.

I heard someone got quite a bit of silver from the sewers outside of an old Kodak plant too. ;-)

@@meMiner their was a Kodak plant in Ottawa? I don't remember one being here?

The one I was thinking about was in Toronto. Might have also been one in Ottawa.

@@meMiner ahhh ok I was looking going i dont see anything in the area lol... Toronto's alittle far for me lol, I am up near pink lake known for mica. I could easily hike up to one of the old minds from my place...

@@WoodPigeonOutdoors Some of the old mica mines are interesting for other stuff, especially if they were on a pegmatite. Otherwise, head up to Eganville. Not a far drive from Ottawa

I have a highbanker in my garage. The rules in Ontario are not clear, but probably the spot needs a claim and work permit to use anything mechanical. I know the BC rules better than Ontario. I would want to sample the spot more by hand to ensure it is worthwhile to hump in the equipment or find/make a path for the ATV. I am going nuts with cabin fever and hope for an early spring.

hahaha. It would probably start a minor gold rush. ..

I promptly lost the little gems by putting them into a large pocket. A better idea would have been to have a little container to store small finds like that. Next time....

It will usually sink if you touch it (break the surface tension). Dishwater soap also works, but a dishwasher drying agent (eg. JetDry) works the best.

Anywhere, except park, private land, Native (First Nation), or existing mineral claim (unless you have permission).

@@meMiner What about a creek? I know parks aren't allowed but what about a creek that is near. The laws are written in a confusing way.

Usually, nobody cares about panning as long as you don't make a mess. However, the letter of the law is - get permission if the creek is owned by somebody or has a claim on it (or park or Native). The one place where I don't think anybody can say anything is under a bridge, because that is highway. In fact, if it is a culvert - sometimes that is a great place to pan because a ribbed culvert is like a sluice. Only place I know in Ontario where this might be questioned is along Highway 7 east of Mamora, where they have signs posted along the highway banning rockhounding on highway property.

@@meMiner I'm in Mississauga and not too sure of the the likelihood of gold in my area but that isn't stopping me, its purely for adventure and to find something out there.

If you stay local, you are digging in glacial till. Doubtful, but what the heck. I live on the side of an moraine and my well is 138' deep. I have a filter to remove black sand from the water. I have panned that out more than once - - No success, but it was fun. I heard a couple of the creeks near Niagara have some colours. When I was visiting family, I panned there too ... without results.

True that, but this is Ontario which was under a mile of ice during the glaciation period. Finding any is a score

I haven't found a definitive answer. It seems to fall into a grey area because there isn't much in the way of economic placer in Ontario. You might be OK with the mining act but get in trouble from the MNR (fisheries). Maybe someone else can comment

Interesting...

There is quite a bit of First Nations history in the area. I guess I should be more careful. Problem is I get so focused on gold that I disregard other things of importance.

@@meMiner what area is it I’m a First Nation and it’s my dream not find a cool artifact

I’m not asking for the exact area just wondering if it’s near kanata or Constance bay or something

It is difficult to find gold, even in places where it was found in quantity before. That said, yes there has been some gold found "near" Ottawa. There is even a lost mine story (nuggets in a cave) north of Ottawa on the Quebec side.

@@mellowoutman4516 Good luck

For lode (hardrock) for sure. For placer, most streams in the Yukon, BC and Alaska have some colours. Placer is difficult to find in Ontario.

Small gold will float for a short while in the surface tension on the water. When I dumped them from my little snuffer bottle back into the pan, for sure some floated. They will sink if poked with a wet finger or Jet Dry in the water. For sure something to keep in mind when panning as it is easy to loose fine gold if you are not aware.

@@meMiner a little dish soap in the water will break the surface tension

@@djlifelike And Jet Dry works really well too

I am not sure what you mean by mag glass. Magnify to see the gold better?

I did not want to start a gold rush by posting online. There is some gold to be found in the creeks and you have to do your own exploration. Keep in mind that there are some active claims or private property, so in many locals, you will need to seek permission.

thanks for the video at least someone told the truth about gold in Ontario

Get prospectors license for 25.50, follow the rivers/creeks along Destor -Porcupine Fault zone. Most gold is in ancient high temp/pressure zones (fault). Look for rock that is upheaved, and also has a quartz vein going through it. Placer (creek) gold is just erosion of these fault zone veins. Creeks act as natural riffles. Or mother natures way of stratifying the gold. Gold is where gold has been found before (historical quote). There is also a database of claims on Ontario mining website. Shows where old and active claims are.

Chris Fitness thank you Chris for the information , I'll be heading up into northern Ontario quite frequently next summer so now I at least know the basics of how to begin my season .