Ottawa Geoheritage

Professor J.A. Donaldson

Geoheritage Goes to Sea
Click here for a report on the MV Discovery cruise across the South Pacific in April 2005.

Geoheritage Sessions
The three Geoheritage Sessions presented through Carleton's Learning in Retirement Program (http://www.carleton.ca/cie/LR.htm) were a resounding success. For those with little or no formal training in the geosciences, the first session provided an introduction to geological principles, basic mineralogy, petrology and structural geology, followed by an overview of regional stratigraphy. The two subsequent full-day Geotours required upgrades from the initially planned school bus to a 50-seat air-conditioned machine with plush upholstery. The weather was excellent and the participants enthusiastic. In spite of canes/walking sticks in the hands of 8, all survived our hikes in Fitzroy, Murphys Point and Charleston Lake Parks. An interesting comment from one participant was: "Why take a standard "Fall Colours" bus trip when you can do a geotour, learn so much, and still enjoy the fall colours for the same price?"

Geoheritage and National Capital Commission
Two members of our Committee recently met two NCC officers and two of their landscape contractors to discuss the possibility of providing a higher profile to the geoheritage components of Rockliffe Park. Although only a concept now, our suggestions were received favorably, so a long-range plan to provide greater geoheritage appreciation on NCC land may soon be in the works.

Geoscience Summit
Three O-GGC members attended the recent Geoscience Summit in Ottawa, Oct. 16-17. Public outreach, including expansion of geoheritage efforts across Canada, was discussed and supported several times during this meeting. A particularly significant opportunity for Friends of Canadian Geoheritage is offered by the International Year for Planet Earth (2006).

Talk by Jean Dougherty
On Nov. 22, Jean Dougherty of our Committee will speak to the St. Aidan's Church Men's Group about fossils of the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

Conference on Geological Heritage
A one-day Conference on Geological Heritage takes place in Quebec City on November 24. O-GGC will be represented by a new member of our Committee, Dr. André Lalonde. He will take along our poster, as well as membership brochures.

Geoscience Lecture Series
We were recently invited to provide speakers for West End Learning Unlimited, a general interest group in Kanata. Accordingly, a Geoscience lecture series titled "GEOHERITAGE: A NATURAL EXTENSION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE" will be offered as six lectures in the New Year (Tuesdays, January 11 to February 15, 2005, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. -- Kanata Baptist Church, 465 Hazeldean Road, Kanata). For information on this program, contact Wilf Pilsworth wg.pilsworth@sympatico.ca

Geotours In Almonte
The self-guided Geoheritage Tours created this past summer for Almonte, now available through the Visitors Centre in Amonte, have been well received. Considerable interest has been expressed in the production of similar geoheritage information sheets for other historic villages, with Eganville, Foresters Falls and Lanark topping the list for 2005.