Ontario Mineral Inventory

Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record: MDI42D09NW00020

Record: MDI42D09NW00020

General

Commodities

Primary Commodities: Granite

Location

Township or Area: McCoy

Latitude: 48° 44' 56.54"    Longitude: -86° 23' 52.14"

UTM Zone: 16    Easting: 544266   Northing: 5399733    UTM Datum: NAD83

Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South

NTS Grid: 42D09NW

Point Location Description: The quarries are located at various points along Carden Cove, ~5km north of the town of Marathon.

Location Method: Field Visit with GPS

Access Description: A C.P.R. access road follows the tracks, north out of Marathon. Park at the end of this road and walk north along the tracks. The Cold Spring Quarry is at approximately 1 km on the east side of the tracks while the Peninsula Quarry is approximately 4 km north. The two smaller quarries are located on the waterfront on the northern extension of the James River property.

Exploration History

A number of small quarries were operated to supply stone for the construction of railway trestles for the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. Commercial operations were initiated by Peninsula Granite Quarries Ltd. on 17 claims (TB 7202-04, 7225-27, 9270-72, 9281, 9283, 9296-98 and 9546-48) located on the east shore of Carden Cove in 1927. The company opened four small quarries, two on TB 7204, one on 7202 and another on TB 9270. The company produced brown granite from claim TB 9270 and black granite from the other three quarries. At the end of 1931 the company sold its interest in all the quarries to the Cold Spring Granite Company of Cold Spring, Minnesota. All operations ceased due to lack of markets in 1932. The northern claims were staked by Lake Superior Stone Syndicate in 1960; no work was recorded. The northern claims were staked in 1984 by Noranda Inc. (Geco Division). Geological mapping and mechanical stripping were conducted. Claims restaked by D. Petrunka of Thunder Bay in 1986. Claims optioned to Cold Spring Granite Company of Cold Spring, Minnesota in 1988. Diamond drilling, ground probing radar survey and sampling were conducted. In 1990, Cold Spring Granite Company dropped their option on the claims. As of 1994, patented claims TB 7202-04 and TB 7226 were held by James River of Marathon Ltd.; D. Petrunka of Thunder Bay held claims TB 9270-72, TB 9281, TB 9283 and TB9296-98; and claims TB 9546-48 reverted to the Crown with the surface rights withdrawn from staking.

Geology

Province: Superior

Subprovince: Wawa

Terrane: Wawa-Abitibi

Belt: Schreiber-Hemlo

Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic  

Lithology

Lithology Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (Mark O'Brien) - The quarries are underlain by Fe-rich augite syenite and amphibole syenite (Walker et al. 1992) of the Proterozoic Coldwell alkalic complex. Geological mapping over the area was done by Puskas (1967) and recently by Walker et al. (1991, 1992, 1993). Walker et al. (1992) described the iron-rich augite and amphibole syenites as follows: The iron-rich augite syenite appears to be a low angle sheet-like intrusion, which dips approximately 15 degrees toward the centre of the complex. It intrudes the basaltic xenoliths of the roof pendant and the Eastern and Western Gabbro, and it has inclusions of recrystallized amphibole quartz syenite. A variation in mineralogy from the bottom to the top through the sheet is present and consists of fayalite-iron-rich, augite-magnetite syenite; iron-rich augite syenite; fayalite-iron-rich augite syenite; and amphibole syenite. The feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite occurs west of the iron-rich augite syenite and east of the recrystallized amphibole quartz syenite. It hosts large blocks of basaltic xenoliths, up to 1 km in size, and is closely related to rare metal-bearing pegmatites. In most places, the feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite occurs as an irregular-shaped intrusion below the basaltic xenoliths and is above the iron-rich augite syenite. The feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite has extensively assimilated the inclusions of basaltic xenoliths and monzodiorite. Pegmatites, which appear to have originated from the feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite, occurs along fractures within the basaltic xenoliths and at the contact between the feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite and iron-rich augite syenite.

Mineralization

Mineralization Comments

Dec 07, 2005 (Mark O'Brien) - Walker et al. (1992) described the mineralogy of the iron-rich augite and amphibole syenite: Iron-rich augite syenite, which forms much of the intrusion, typically contains iridescent tabular to lath-shaped feldspars with cryptoperthitic intergrowths and up to 30% interstitial, iron-rich augite. Variable amounts of fayalite, amphibole, aenigmatite and rare quartz occur in the subunit. The rock is generally black to olive-brown, coarse grained and massive. The feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite characteristically contains two textural variants: 1) a feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenite with an aphanitic to medium-grained groundmass and interstitial amphibole 2) a later intrusion of medium-grained amphibole syenite with columnar feldspar and interstitial amphibole. The stone from the quarry located on the shoreline is medium grained and dark brown-black in fresh cut surfaces. Thomson (1931) described the colour of the red granite from claim TB 9270: The sawn surface of the red granite exhibits a light-pink matrix mottled with fine, irregular anhedra of blue-green hornblende. The rock takes a good polish and exhibits a uniform granular pattern. Geochemical analyses were conducted by Geoscience Laboratories of the Ontario Geological Survey in Toronto in 1930 and the results are as follows: Sample No. Black: 57.36 % SiO2, 15.18 % Al2O3, 1.51 % Fe2O3, 0.21 % MnO, 0.40 % MgO, 4.16 % CaO, 4.59 % Na2O, 4.90 % K2O, 0.96 % TiO2, 0.15 % P2O5. Sample No. Red: 57.58 % SiO2, 14.91 % Al2O3, 2.47 % Fe2O3, 0.23 % MnO, 1.14 % MgO, 3.21 % CaO, 4.45 % Na2O, 4.75 % K2O, 0.81 % TiO2, 0.16 % P2O5.

Mineral Record Details

Site Visit Information

Date: May 08, 2002

Geologist: Mark O'Brien

Notes: According to Hinz et al (1994): Although these quarry sites are not amenable to quarrying due to their small size, there are numerous sites in the immediate vicinity which may have potential. Since the iron-rich augite and feldspar porphyritic amphibole syenites outcrop over a very large area within the Coldwell Complex, there may be some suitable sites yet to be found.

Date: Sep 04, 2015

Geologist: Therese Pettigrew

Notes: Visited the site with M. Smyk, M. Puumala, D. Campbell, R. Cundari, and M. Brunelle. Lots of old machinery can still be seen on the site.

References

Map - Precambrian Geology, Port Coldwell Complex, East Half

Publication Number: P3233 Scale: 1:20,000    Date: 1993

Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T., Penczak R.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

Mono - Dimensional Stone Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario

Publication Number: OFR5890 Page: 143-148  Date: 1994

Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M., Gerow M.C.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

MonoMap - Precambrian Geology of the Coldwell Alkalic Complex

Publication Number: OFR5868 Date: 1993

Author: Walker E.C., Sutcliffe R.H., Shaw C.S.J., Shore G.T., Penczak R.S.

Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey

Location:

MonoMap - Geology of the Port Coldwell area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: OFR5014 Page: 86-87  Date: 1997

Author: Puskas F.P.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

Part - Geology of the Heron Bay area, District of Thunder Bay

Publication Number: ARV40-02.002 Page: 35-37  Date: 1998

Author: Thomson J.E.

Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines

Location:

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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office