Geological Survey of Canada

Geological Survey of Canada
Agency overview
Commission géologique du Canada

Formed	1842
Jurisdiction	Government of Canada
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario
Employees	600
Annual budget	CAD $97 million
Minister responsible	Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; French: Commission géologique du Canada (CGC)) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the environment. A branch of the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada, the GSC is the country's oldest scientific agency and was one of its first government organizations.

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History

In September 1841, the Province of Canada legislature passed a resolution that authorized the sum of £1,500 sterling be granted to the government for the estimated expense of performing a geological survey of the province. In 1842, the Geological Survey of Canada was formed to fulfill this request.^[1]

William Edmond Logan was in Montreal at the time and made it known that he was interested in participating in this survey. Gaining recommendations from prominent British scientists, Logan was appointed the first GSC director on April 14, 1842. Four months later, Logan arrived in Kingston, Ontario, to compile the existing body of knowledge of Canada's geology. In the spring of 1843, Logan established the GSC's headquarters in Montreal (in his brother's warehouse and then in a rented house on Great St. James Street (now Saint Jacques Street).^[2] One of the prominent cartographers and the chief topographical draughtsman was Robert Barlow, who began his work in 1855. Chemist T. Sterry Hunt joined in the early days and the Survey added paleontological capability in 1856 with the arrival of Elkanah Billings.^[1] After Aylesworth Perry was appointed as acting librarian in 1881 he prepared the catalogue of reference works on geology, mineralogy, metallurgy, chemistry and natural history.^[3] George Mercer Dawson became a staff member in 1875, progressed to assistant director in 1883 and finally to director of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1895.^[1] The Geological Survey of Canada first began allowing women to conduct fieldwork in the early 1950s.^[4] Dr. Alice Wilson, the first of these women, lobbied for the inclusion of paleontologist Frances Wagner shortly afterward.^[4] Around this same time, the GSC employed a third woman Dr. Helen Belyea.^[4]

Programs and activities

1. Geoscience for mineral and Northern Development

Canada has the geoscience required to attract mineral investment across Canada, to inform sustainable development of the North, and to work with allied countries to become a leading supplier of responsibly developed minerals.

2. Geoscience for land management

Canada has the geoscience required to inform responsible resource development and environmental stewardship in both terrestrial and marine environments, and to support its extended continental shelf submissions to the United Nations.

3. Geoscience for climate and disaster resilience

Decision makers and communities have access to the geoscience that they need to make Canada more resilient to natural hazards and climate change, and to achieve a net-zero future.

References

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Christy Vodden (1992), No Stone Unturned: The First 150 years of the Geological Survey of Canada, Geological Survey of Canada Web site
^ Dictionary of Canadian Biography: "Logan, Sir William Edmond"
^ Pauline MacDonald and Rosemarie Pleasant (2004), 150 Years Of Library Service, Natural Resources Canada website.
^ ^a ^b ^c Atkinson, Bill (7 December 2016). "Dr. Frances Wagner: Adventurous micropaleontologist flouted convention - The Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail.

Bibliography

Zaslow, Morris (1975). Reading the Rocks : the story of the Geological Survey of Canada, 1842-1972. Toronto/Ottawa: Macmillan Company of Canada/Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. ISBN 978-0-7705-1303-0. OCLC 2931347.

External links

Life of a Rock Star Archived 2007-02-03 at the Wayback Machine
1935 Dr. Alfred Jolliffe, Geological Survey of Canada Archived 2012-02-17 at the Wayback Machine NWT Historical Timeline, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Sir William E. Logan and the Geological Survey of Canada, including Logan's journals, scrapbook and photographs
The Papers of Robert Bell at Dartmouth College Library

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Other entities	Governor General of Canada Office of the Secretary to the Governor General
Defunct major departments and agencies	Canadian International Development Agency Department of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment Passport Canada PPP Canada Solicitor General of Canada

This page was last edited on 27 February 2024, at 17:02

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