Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI52A15SE00025
| Record Name(s) | Wolf River Sandstone Quarry - 1913, Lot 2, Concession VI - 1931 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Simple |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Developed Prospect Without Reported Reserves or Resources |
| Date Created | 1996-Dec-15 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-May-18 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Sandstone
Township or Area: Stirling
Latitude: 48° 50' 57.02" Longitude: -88° 35' 23.78"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 383359 Northing: 5411908 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South
NTS Grid: 52A15SE
Point Location Description: Quarry on map on p. 91 of OFR5890
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: GENERAL LOCATION: The quarry site is located approximately 7.5 km northwest of Dorion in southwest Stirling Township, Lot 2, Conc. VI. ACCESS: At Dorion turn left off Highway 11/17 onto the Fish Hatchery Road. Follow the signs to the Fish Hatchery (approximately 4.8 km), turn right before entering the Hatchery. Approximately .25 km take the left fork in the road. Past the fork, approximately 50 m, a bush trail leads to the quarry on the Wolf River.
1913 to 1915: W.R. Berford of Fort William staked two claims, TB 1836 and 1837. Work was reported on the claims and a small amount of stone was quarried and used in Port Arthur. In the early 1920s W.R. Berford abandoned the claims. 1921: The quarry was restaked by W.A. Dowler and M. Watty of Hurkett, Ontario. The claims were patented and production resumed. 1931: The last report of production at the quarry by Dowler and Watty is cited in this year by T.L. Tanton (1931). 1941: The patent was dropped. 1949: A new issue of patent was issued to E.G. Gamble. 1982: D. Burrows staked the site and transferred all rights to Noranda Mines Ltd. No work was recorded. 1983: Ownership of the patented claims was transferred from R.G. and M.L. Gamble to A.A. Renaud of Dorion.
Province: Southern
Subprovince: Nipigon Basin
Formation Group: Sibley Group
Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - GENERAL GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURE: The area is underlain by Mesoproterozoic Sibley Group sandstones and siltstones. The grains are sand sized quartz grains that are poorly sorted and subangular in shape. The quartz grains are cemented together by carbonate (calcite) and silica (chalcedony). Tanton (1929) described the geology of the quarry: Lot 2, Concession VI - On the west side of the Wolf River, just below the falls, is the abandoned quarry from which sandstone was quarried for buildings in Port Arthur. The stone is well cemented with quartz and calcite, is buff to white in colour, and is exposed in a bluff 18 feet high. The upper layers are flat-lying, while those at the base dip 7 degreesS., which appears to be an original dip or cross-bedding on a large scale. Near the top the sandstone is well jointed in blocks averaging 9 inches across; below it is more massive and in beds from 3 to 4 feet thick. To the west the deposit is overlain by a high ridge of glacial till.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Sandstone | 1 | Equigranular,Fine Gr. | Host |
|---|
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - MINERALOGY: The Wolf River sandstone is composed of 85 to 90% quartz, 5 to 10% calcite and 2 to 3% fine micaceous minerals. The quartz grains are angular to subrounded and display a mosaic texture. Quartz overgrowths are very common and some minor chalcedony is seen. Fine-grained anhedral masses of calcite fill the spaces between the quartz grains. The micaceous minerals are seen as rims around the quartz and in the matrix, some are iron-stained. They are too fine to identify. JOINTING: The top of the sandstone is well jointed in blocks averaging 8 inches across, below it is more massive with beds ranging from 3 to 4 feet thick. COLOUR: The sandstone has been described as being buff coloured to white to slightly pinkish. TEXTURE: The sandstone is equigranular and fine grained.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quartz | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Calcite | Economic | Gangue | ||||
| 2 | Mica | Economic | Gangue |
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - MINERALOGY: The Wolf River sandstone is composed of 85 to 90% quartz, 5 to 10% calcite and 2 to 3% fine micaceous minerals. The quartz grains are angular to subrounded and display a mosaic texture. Quartz overgrowths are very common and some minor chalcedony is seen. Fine-grained anhedral masses of calcite fill the spaces between the quartz grains. The micaceous minerals are seen as rims around the quartz and in the matrix, some are iron-stained. They are too fine to identify. COLOUR: The sandstone has been described as being buff coloured to white to slightly pinkish. TEXTURE: The sandstone is equigranular and fine grained. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: Sample No.85MCK-0004: 93.86 SiO2, 3.28 Al2O3, 0.32 Fe2O3, 0.33 MgO, 1.35 CaO, 0.76 K2O, 0.07 TiO2, 0.03 MnO, 0.02 S. Analyses conducted by Geoscience Laboratory, Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto.
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - 9) CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: Sample No. 85MCK-0004: 93.86 SiO2, 3.28 Al2O3, 0.32 Fe2O3, 0.33 MgO, 1.35 CaO, 0.76 K2O, 0.07 TiO2, 0.03 MnO, 0.02 S. Analyses conducted by Geoscience Laboratory, Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto 10) COMMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS: The author feels that this site has a low potential for development. Situated on the Wolf River and covered by thick glacial till there is virtually no space in which to open a quarry. Other potions of the Sibley Group rocks should be prospected for thickly bedded sandstones.
Map - Geological series, Dorion-Wolf Lake area (eastern part), District of Thunder Bay
Publication Number: P0995 Scale: 1:15,840 Date: 1975
Author: McIlwaine W.H., Tihor L.A.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
Mono - Dimensional Stone Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario
Publication Number: OFR5890 Page: 88-91 Date: 1994
Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M., Gerow M.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Part - Lead and zinc deposits, Dorion and McTavish townships, Thunder Bay District
Publication Number: ARV38-06.002 Page: 77 Date: 1998
Author: Hawley J.E.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
File - Industrial minerals geologist files
Publication Number: IMF Date: 1996
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
File - Thunder Bay Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files
Publication Number: Min Dep Date: 1996
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
Book - Nipigon-Schreiber District, Ontario; In: Summary Report, 1920, part D, p. 2D-7D
Publication Number: SumRep 1920-D Page: 2-7D Date: 1921
Author: Tanton, T.L.
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/297670
Book - Fort William and Port Arthur, and Thunder Cape Map-area, Thunder Bay District, Ontario; Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 167
Publication Number: GSC Memoir 167 Page: 181 Date: 1931
Author: Tanton, T.L.
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/100799
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