Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI42D13NE00010
| Record Name(s) | Quarry Island Sandstone Quarry - 1890, Rossport Sandstone - 1996, McKay Harbour Freestone - 1996 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Occurrence |
| Date Created | 1996-Dec-18 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-May-18 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Sandstone
Secondary Commodities: Silica Sand
Township or Area: Rossport Area
Latitude: 48° 48' 50.05" Longitude: -87° 31' 14.1"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 461781.69 Northing: 5406899.16 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South
NTS Grid: 42D13NE
Point Location Description: Quarry
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: GENERAL LOCATION: Southwest corner of Quarry Island, Nipigon Bay, Lake Superior; approximately 2.5 km (1.5 mi.) south of Rossport (Figure 28). ACCESS: The island can be reached by boat launched at Rossport.
There is very little information available that discusses the development of this sandstone quarry. The available references indicate that the quarry operated in the late 1800s. The extracted stone was used in the Thunder Bay area in bridges, foundations, and some buildings (Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Oct. 19, 1983; Feb. 8, 1983). 1985: Walter Seeber staked claims covering the former quarry as a possible source of building stone. Mr. Seeber also had been assessing the rock's potential as a silica source. 1986: W. Seeber hired a consultant and conducted a sampling, beneficiation and market study on the silica deposit. 1988: W. Seeber transferred a 50% interest to S. Digregorio and retained 50%. Two claims, TB 834909 and 911 were surveyed. 1989: Two diamond drill holes for a total of 204' were recorded by Seeber and Digregorio. 1990: Claims TB 834909 and 911 were brought to lease.
| Office File Number | Online Assessment File Identifier | Online Assessment File Directory |
|---|---|---|
| 2.10146 | 42D13SE0003 | 42D13SE0003 |
Province: Southern
Subprovince: Nipigon Basin
Formation Group: Sibley Group
Geological Age: Paleoproterozoic
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - GENERAL GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURE: The quarry is located within Mesoproterozoic sandstones of the Sibley Group. This group unconformably overlies the Paleoproterozoic Animikie Rove Formation which also outcrops on the island. Both of these formations are intruded by a Keweenawan diabase sill. The only evidence of quarrying on the island is the rubble piles found in the vicinity of the quarry face.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Sandstone | 1 | Sand Size,Rounded To Sub-Rounded | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diabase | 2 | Diabase | Near |
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - In thin section, the sample is composed of 90 to 95% quartz and 5 to 10% sericite. Quartz also occurs as cement (15 to 20% of total quartz). The quartz grains are well-sorted and are subangular to subrounded in shape. The grains have tangential and planar contacts. Some of these contacts are the result of quartz overgrowths, which are marked by the presence of fine micas between the grain and overgrowth. The sericite and fine micas are more commonly found as masses with the same shape and size as the quartz grains. This similarity may infer that the sericite and micas may originally have been feldspar grains. COLOUR: In hand sample the stone has a white colour with small patches having a yellow tint. TEXTURE: The sample is composed of sand sized (1 to 2 o) quartz grains, rounded to subrounded in shape.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quartz | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Mica | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Sericite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| Sericite | Alteration | Sericitization | 1 | Unknown | Disseminated |
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - MINERALOGY: In thin section, the sample is composed of 90 to 95% quartz and 5 to 10% sericite. Quartz also occurs as cement (15 to 20% of total quartz). The quartz grains are well-sorted and are subangular to subrounded in shape. The grains have tangential and planar contacts. Some of these contacts are the result of quartz overgrowths, which are marked by the presence of fine micas between the grain and overgrowth. The sericite and fine micas are more commonly found as masses with the same shape and size as the quartz grains. This similarity may infer that the sericite and micas may originally have been feldspar grains. COLOUR: In hand sample the stone has a white colour with small patches having a yellow tint. TEXTURE: The sample is composed of sand sized (1 to 2 o) quartz grains, rounded to subrounded in shape. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: Sample No. 85MCK-0005: 98.32 SiO2, 1.24 Al2O3, 0.00 Fe2O3, 0.01 MnO, 0.01 MgO, 0.06 CaO, 0.07 Na2O, 0.10 K2O, 0.08 TiO2, 0.00 P2O5. Analyses by Geoscience Laboratories, Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto.
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - 10) COMMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS: This quarry was evaluated by W. Seeber and S. Digregorio for its silica potential from 1985 to 1990. Any attempt to develop this site would have to take special care to assess any environmental concerns associated with development on islands in Lake Superior. The Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of the Environment and the Rossport Islands Advisory Board would have to be consulted.
Date: Jun 01, 1985
Geologist: R Degagne
Notes: Visited in 1985 / 1988 by P. Hinz and R. M. Landry (OGS OFR 5889, 1994). ECONOMIC FEATURES: Bernatchez (AFRI 42D13SE0003) estimated the grade and reserves for the Quarry Island Silica Deposit: Assay results have returned grades of silica from 92.8% to 99% from the Quarry Island orthoquartzites. Some tonnage estimates were calculated based on a uniform layer of 13.6 metres thick, 400 metres wide and 800 metres long. A total of 11.4 million tonnes (or 12.5 million tons) was calculated at Quarry Island. Some of it, however, is capped by Keweenawan diabase.
| Zone | Year | Category | Tonnes | Reference | Comments | Commodities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarry Island Silica | 1986 | Unclassified | 10000000 | AFRI 42D13SE0003 | 10 to 20 million tons of silica estimated based on a uniform layer 13.6 m thick, 400 m wide, and 800 m long |
Map - St. Ignace Island and adjacent islands, Thunder Bay District
Publication Number: M2285 Scale: 1:63,360 Date: 1974
Author: Giguere J.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
Mono - Dimensional Stone Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario
Publication Number: OFR5890 Page: 149-152 Date: 1994
Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M., Gerow M.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Book - Field Guide to the Sibley Group, In: Proterozoic Geology of Northern Lake Superior Area, Geological Association of Canada – Mineralogical Association of Canada, Field Trip Guidebook Trip 4
Publication Number: GAC-MAC GB 4 Date: 1982
Author: Franklin, J.M., McIlwaine, W.H., Shegelski, R.J., Mitchell, R.H.
Publisher Name: Geological Association of Canada
Location:
MonoMap - Geology of St. Ignace Island and adjacent islands, District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: R118 Date: 1975
Author: Giguere J.F.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
File - Industrial minerals geologist files
Publication Number: IMF Date: 1996
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
We are continuously updating our assessment file / technical report information. If you notice errors in the data, please contact us.
Please review our Terms of Use agreement for this data product.
For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office