This edition of the overview captures information on exploration and mining conducted in 2000, with a news cut-off date of March 1, 2001

In 1999, Cumberland acquired exploration rights to a 74,000 acre area northeast of the Meadowbank project. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc, which admininsters mineral rights on Inuit-owned land such as this area, has retained a 12% net profits interest royalty.

The general geology of the extension consists of northeast-trending, Archean intermediate volcanic rocks, bounded to the northwest by mixed sedimentary and volcanic rocks, and to the southeast by younger granite intrusions. Several showings, including the Wally World, PDF, Longroot, and Lakeshore showings, have been found but Cumberland’s initial work has focused on the Vault Zone.
Prospecting across the area resulted in the collection of 430 grab samples, 40 whole-rock samples, and 53 MMI soil samples. A 32.7 line-kilometer induced polarization survey was completed across the Vault and Longroot showings, while a 189.4 line-kilometer magnetic and VLF survey covered Vault, Longroot, and PDF. All three zones were also mapped at scales ranging from 1:2500 to 1:500.
At the Vault Zone, mineralization occurs as a northeast-trending, shallow, slightly dipping zone of quartz-sericite-carbonate-pyrite altered volcaniclastics associated with an early isoclinal fold event. A 27 hole, 2853 meter drill program intersected significant mineralization, including 11.63 g/t over 5.0 meters and 5.20 g/t over 4.15 meters, in separate intervals within hold VLT-008, and 7.02 g/t over 8.75 meters in VLT-024. The zone remains open in three directions, measuring 800 meters long and extending 300 meters down-dip.
A preliminary resource of 3.365 Mt grading 3.9 g/t gold (0.422 million ounces) was reported on the basis of 27 diamond drill holes. When combined with the previously known resources at Meadowbank, the global resource rises to 2.494 million ounces
The PDF showing was tested with a 6 hole, 402 meter drill program that yielded weak to moderate mineralization in quartz veinlets at a volcaniclastic/iron formation boundary.
A 5 hole, 293 meter drill program at the Longroot showing hit thin quartz veinlets and weak mineralization and sericite/chlorite alteration in volcaniclastics.

Meliadine East
Commodities'>Operator, Owners	Cumberland Resources (50%) Comaplex Minerals (50%)
Commodities	Gold
Coordinates	91 40' W, 62 55' N
NTS	55J/13,14
Location	30 km north of Rankin Inlet

The Meliadine East property covers approximately 83,600 acres of the Rankin Inlet Group, an Archean volcanic and sedimentary sequence. Gold has been found in pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite-bearing iron formation at the Discovery deposit. Elsewhere, at the J2 Zone, gold occurs in parallel quartz veins in felsic to mafic volcaniclastic rocks.

The current era of exploration on the property began in 1990 with drill testing of the Discovery Zone. A resource of 1.6 million tonnes, grading 9.94 g/t gold, was reported for the Discovery Zone in 1994. Prospecting, drilling, and ground geophysics continued over the property between 1995 and 1999, with significant values being returned from drilling on the J2 Zone in 1999.
Cumberland completed detailed prospecting, geological mapping, geophysics, and till sampling over several gold showings on the property. Fifteen drill holes (2281 meters) were also completed, including two that tested a new structure at the Discovery deposit. These intersected 13.5 g/t over 6.4 meters and 24.6 g/t over 1.4 meters.

Meliadine West
Operator, Owners	WMC International (56%) Cumberland Resources (22%) Comaplex Minerals (22%)
Commodities	Gold
Coordinates	92 11' W, 63 01' N
NTS	55J/13, 55K/16, 55N/1
Location	30 km north of Rankin Inlet

The Meliadine West deposits are hosted within the Archean Rankin Inlet Group, in the hanging wall of the Pyke Break Deformation Zone. Stratigraphy in the area strikes east-southeast and is overturned with south-facing tops. The stratigraphy, from north to south (oldest to youngest) is the Sam Formation (metaturbidites), Upper Oxide Iron Formation and Tiriganiaq Formation wackes and siltstones. These structurally overlie, but stratigraphically underlie, Wolf-Wesmeg Formation mafic and ultramafic rocks with the interlayed Lean and Lower Lean Iron Formations, and the Falcon Formation variolitic flows. South of the Pyke Break, stratigraphy is dominated by Sandhill Formation siltstones and wackes, and Sic Sic Formation polymictic conglomerates.

Mineralization is hosted primarily within the iron formation and associated metasediments and zones of high strain at volcanic/sedimentary contacts. Mineralization generally consists of quartz±iron carbonate±arsenopyrite±pyrrhotite veins and sericitic alteration. Four main deposits are known - Tiriganiaq (or Tiriruniak, in Upper Oxide IF and at the volcanic/

sedimentary contact), Pump (Upper Oxide IF), F Zone (Lower Lean IF), and Wolf (Lower Lean IF).

Comaplex Minerals and Asamera Minerals staked the Nat claim in 1987. The Discovery Zone, on the Meliadine East property, was discovered in 1989 by prospectors working for Asamera Minerals and Comaplex Minerals, prompting additional staking. Rio Algom optioned the Meliadine West property in 1991 but terminated the option in 1992 despite intersecting high-grade gold intervals during a drill program. Cumberland acquired Asamera’s interest in 1993. With Comaplex as operator, the F Zone was discovered in 1993 and the Pump Zone in 1995. WMC International began earning an interest in the property in 1995, with the Tiriruniak (or Tiriganiaq) and Wolf Zones being discovered. Total drilling by the partners, including 1999, is approximately 125,000 metres.
A closely spaced, 5600 metre diamond drill program was completed on the Tiriganiaq zone in 2000. An additional 4400 metres tested targets in the Aurora area, several kilometres to the west. This work follows up on a boulder prospecting discovery from 1999. Results from the drilling have not yet been released. Prefeasibility-level scoping studies are currently underway.
A new resource estimate was released in October. This new resource conforms to the Australasian Code for reporting of Identified Mineral Resources and Reserves (“JORC’). Compared to the previous year’s resource, the new estimate is slightly lower in tonnage and lower in grade, but a greater amount of the resource is “indicated”, as a result of greater confidence in the estimate. The indicated and inferred resource is 22.1 million tonnes grading 6.33 g/t gold, for 4.5 million ounces with a 3 g/t cut-off. This compares with the previous estimate of 23.7 million tonnes grading 8.5 g/t, for 6.5 million ounces.

Napajut Lake
Operator, Owners	Phelps Dodge Corporation of Canada
Commodities	Gold
Coordinates	95 40' W, 61 12' N
NTS	55E/3,4
Location	100 km west of Arviat

The NAP claims cover 8780.5 acres of greenschist to amphibolite facies, felsic and mafic volcanic rocks. Mineralization occurs as a 3 to 4 km long shear zone parallel to the local structural fabric of the host mafic volcanics. The shear zone has a siliceous core surrounded by sericite schist and barren quartz, with 1 to 2 meter wide, quartz-carbonate veins within fifty meters. Pyrite is the dominant sulphide.

Phelps Dodge acquired the ground in 1998, collecting about 200 samples that year. This year, the claims were mapped at 1:5000, and 34 float and 1158 soil samples were collected. Forty-five line-kilometers of ground VLF and magnetic surveys were also completed.
MMI analyses of the soil samples returned response ratios in excess of 1000 in several areas associated with magnetic lows and high-grade grab samples (exceeding 20 g/t gold). The shear may be the source of auriferous float collected in previous programs, and mineralization appears to improve to the north where the shear is covered in overburden. Soil sample results indicate the zone strikes off the sampling grid.

Noomut River Project
Operator, Owners	Comaplex Minerals WMC International
Commodities	Gold
Coordinates__111_00_W,_66_05_N___NTS'>Coordinates	97 05' W, 61 37' N
NTS	65H/9-11,15,16
Location	175 km west of Arviat

The Noomut River property consists of claims NAP1, Noomut 1-47, and SJ 1-54, for a total area of 193,000 acres. The property’s geology consists of Archean volcanic, intrusive, and sedimentary rocks unconformably overlain by Hurwitz Group sedimentary rocks of Proterozoic age. Northeast-trending Archean structures and east-northeast and northwest trending Proterozoic structures predominate. Mineralization occurs principally as quartz veins associated with lodes in mafic volcanics and iron formation. Carbonate, albite, sericite, and pyrite alteration are most common, with local occurrences of arsenopyrite.

Comaplex has been active in the Noomut area since 1995, with drill programs completed on the Napartok, Esker, River, and Ironsides zones between 1996 and 1997.
In 2000, a total of 367 grab and 693 soil samples were collected.
On the Noomut 7 claim, which hosts the Esker Zone, prospecting and a 60 line-kilometer magnetic and induced polarization survey was completed. Grab samples assaying more than 5 grams per tonne gold were collected over a 1 km strike length in two sub-parallel gabbro-hosted zones. The geophysical surveys indicated that IP chargeability anomalies are associated with these zones.
Reconnaissance prospecting and 1:100,000 scale mapping on the SJ claims revealed new gold occurrences, though these have not been examined in detail.
Mapping at 1:20,000 was undertaken on claims Noomut 20, 21 and 23.
WMC collected till samples and ran a gravity survey in parts of the Noomut property.

Nowyak Lake Project
Operator, Owners	Navigator Exploration Corp
Commodities	Gold, silver
Coordinates	98 25' W, 61 55' N
NTS	65G/15,16
Location	320 km southwest of Rankin Inlet

Navigator’s land position in the Nowyak Lake area spans 20 claims (48,293 acres). The property’s geology consists primarily of mafic volcanic rocks and tonalite, granite, and pegmatite intrusions. Lesser amounts of greywackes and felsic volcanics are also present. Several northeast-trending shear zones cut the property, including the Tyrell shear, which passes through the southern part of the property. Gold and silver values have been returned from quartz-carbonate-pyrite altered zones within shear zones, particularly where these cut felsic tuffs.

The claims were staked in 1996, as a result of anomalous gold values reported by DIAND geologists mapping the area. Prospecting, geophysics, and some diamond drilling has located four gold showings - Bonanza, Bully, Century, and Gareth - over a four kilometer strike length. The Century showing, tested in 2000, was recognized on the basis of anomalous soil geochemistry, coincident IP and resistivity anomalies, and a mineralized outcrop from which a trench sample assayed 31 g/t over two meters.
A three hole, 177 m drill program in April 2000 included two holes into the Century showing. Hole NL-00-1 hit the target structure over a 15 meter interval, with a best intersection of 1.45 meters grading 6.59 g/t gold and 19.46 g/t silver. NL-00-2, collared 50 meters to the south-southwest, cut the structure over a 17 meter true width, with a best intersection of 1.65 meters grading 5.28 g/t gold and 35.63 g/t silver.


Kitikmeot Region
The Kitikmeot region spans the western and northern mainland, and parts of Victoria, Prince of Wales, King William, and Somerset islands. Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay are the largest communities in the region and often provide services to camps in the area; Yellowknife, to the south, is also an important logistical center.
The Kitikmeot is geologically diverse. The Archean Slave Province occupies part of the western mainland and is bounded to the west and east by the Proterozoic Bear Province. Inliers of the Bear are also found on Victoria Island, surrounded by the younger Arctic Platform sedimentary rocks that cover most of the islands. The Archean Churchill Province underlies most of the northern mainland.
The small mines at Roberts Bay, Ida Bay, and Ida Point, south of Elu Inlet, are the only past producers in the region. The Lupin gold mine is active, having been in production since 1982. Mining has been proposed at the nearby Jericho diamond project; the project is in the initial stages of regulatory review.
Traditional exploration targets have included massive sulphide-hosted base metals and lode and iron formation gold in the Slave. Extensive nickel-copper exploration has taken place at the Muskox Intrusion in the Bear province, along with vein copper and sedimentary-hosted massive sulphides. Recent diamond exploration has covered virtually the entire western mainland and parts of Victoria and Somerset islands.
Diamonds and gold were the two primary commodities sought by companies in the Kitikmeot this year. Nickel-copper-platinum mineralization programs around the Muskox did produce some interesting results as well.

Aber South Lease
Operator, Owners	Navigator Exploration
Commodities	Diamonds
Coordinates	110 52' W, 65 38' N
NTS	76E/10
Location	380 km north of Yellowknife

The Aber South Lease is underlain by turbidites and minor iron formation of the Contwoyto Formation. In total, the lease covers 18,267 acres.

The property was originally staked in 1988 and explored for iron-formation gold showings for the next two years. The property was optioned to Echo Bay Mines in 1994, with prospecting, geophysical surveys and twenty-six drill holes being completed by the end of 1995. After conducting a brief till sampling program in 1999, Aber sold the property to Navigator in order to focus on advanced diamond projects.
Navigator flew a heliborne electromagnetic survey over the lease at a spacing of seventy-five meters in September 2000.

Bel
Operator, Owners	Ashton Mining of Canada (87.5%) Pure Gold Resources (12.5%)
Commodities	Diamonds
Coordinates	111 00' W, 66 05' N
NTS	76L/2,3
Location	160 km southwest of Bathurst Inlet

The Bel property spans 20,660 acres north of the Lupin mine. Much of the property is underlain by the Proterozoic Goulburn Supergroup, primarily clastic sedimentary rocks with minor dolomite. Intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks of the Yellowknife Supergroup are found in the northwest corner of the claim block, as are Proterozoic gabbro sills.
Ashton acquired the property in 1997, after some JD claims, held by predecessors of Tahera Corporation, expired. Ashton collected till samples in 1998 and 1999.
Ashton collected till samples on the Bel claims, in order to better define indicator mineral concentrations found in previous sampling programs.

Con
Operator, Owners	Ashton Mining of Canada (87.5%) Pure Gold Resources (12.5%)
Commodities	Diamonds
Coordinates	110 22' W, 65 33' N
NTS	76E/8,9
Location	170 km southwest of Bathurst Inlet

The Con property covers 30,990 acres east of Contwoyto Lake. The claims are underlain by deformed Yellowknife Supergroup metasedimentary rocks in the south, and intrusive and gneissic rocks in the northwest and east.

Ashton staked the property in 1996, after claims held by Consolidated Texas Northern Minerals lapsed. Ashton has collected till samples over the property since then.
Ashton collected till samples in order to better define indicator mineral concentrations found in previous sampling programs.

Coronation
Operator, Owners	Shear Minerals Ltd
Commodities	Diamonds
Coordinates	 ' W,  ' N
NTS	76G
Location	75 km south of Bathurst Inlet

Most of the property is underlain by Archean granitoids and gneissic rocks. Felsic volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Yellowknife Supergroup occur in the western parts of the 76G/12&13 claim block, and Proterozoic sedimentary rocks occur over the western parts of the 76G/15&16 claim group.

Contractor Apex Geoscience Ltd. collected 78 till samples on the property, targeting 15 geophysical anomalies. Kimberlitic indicator minerals were recovered from 21 samples, all of which were clustered around eight geophysical anomalies.

Epworth
Operator, Owners	De Beers (earning 70%), Rhonda Corporation
Commodities	Diamonds
Coordinates	~113 30' W, 67 00' N
NTS	86I/13,14; 86P/3,4
Location	75 km south of Coronation Gulf