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Ontario Geological Survey
Permanent Link to this Record:
MDI52A16NE00006
| Record Name(s) | Nipigon River Marble - 1883 |
|---|---|
| Related Record Type | Partial |
| Related Record(s) | |
| Record Status | Prospect |
| Date Created | 1996-Dec-17 |
| Date Last Modified | 2022-May-18 |
| Created By | |
| Revised By |
Primary Commodities: Marble (Building Stone)
Township or Area: Nipigon
Latitude: 48° 58' 30.39" Longitude: -88° 14' 52.49"
UTM Zone: 16 Easting: 408680 Northing: 5425439 UTM Datum: NAD83
Resident Geologist District: Thunder Bay South
NTS Grid: 52A16NE
Point Location Description: Quarry
Location Method: Data Compilation
Access Description: GENERAL LOCATION: The quarry face is located on the eastern shore of the Nipigon River in the northern part of Lot 8, Conc. I, Nipigon Twp., Thunder Bay Mining Division ACCESS: The quarry can be accessed by boat from a launch at the Nipigon Marina across the river.
1883: CPR hired 150 men to extract marble along the west side of the river. 1884: Workers, under the direction of Mr. Reid, were removing blocks for the Nipigon CPR bridge 2 miles north of the quarry 1885: Messrs. Guerard and Duclos of Port Arthur Marble Works removed blocks of the Nipigon Marble to manufacture monuments. It was hoped that this marble would replace the material brought in from Vermont. 1886: The quarry attracted attention not only as a building stone source, but also as a quick-setting hydraulic cement. A sample of the stone was also made part of the mineral exhibit sent to Toronto Exhibition. 1910: The stone was used for facing and steps in the Masonic Hall erected in Port Arthur. 1994: Surface rights owned by the Thunder Bay Naturalist Club (Susan Bryan - contact); the mineral rights are currently open (searched February 1994). It should be noted that there are environmental and archeological restrictions to further development, including the presence of peregrine falcon nesting sites and native pictographs along the river near the quarry.
Province: Southern
Subprovince: Nipigon Basin
Formation Group: Sibley Group
Geological Age: Mesoproterozoic
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - GENERAL GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURE: The quarry is located within calcareous metasediments of the Mesoproterozoic Sibley Group. The area surrounding the quarry face is comprised of Keweenawan diabase sills that have intruded the metasediments. The quarry site is hard to define, but appears to be an area 30 m deep and 20 m wide where stone has been extracted. The quarry face is 14 m high and trends 170 to 190 degrees. There is very little evidence of quarrying activity at the site, but there is a drill hole on the quarry face. Near the surface weathering results in parting along the layers, however the stone tends to be more solid in the lower section of the quarry face. The immediate area is overlain by diabase. The potential for large blocks is very good; for example, there is a block at the quarry that is 1.3 m by 1.75 m by 0.9 m.
| Rock Type | Rank | Composition | Texture | Relationship | Dolomite Marble | 1 | Fine Gr, Comp. Layering | Host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diabase | 2 | Diabase | Logan Sills | Near |
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - MINERALOGY: In thin section the marble displays a fine-grained, saccharoidal texture. Minerals present include calcite, dolomite, epidote and opaque minerals, probably chalcocite. Some veinlets (< 2.0 mm) of calcite are seen. The saccharoidal texture indicates the rock has undergone extensive recrystallization. JOINTING: Horizontal partings are 1 to 4 m apart with a separation of 2 m being common. Major vertical fractures are 2 m apart with minor fractures occurring in between. These minor fractures may only be surface features. COLOUR: The stone is a layered marble composed of altered green limestone with purplish mudstone. The green and purple layers are generally 10 to 15 cm thick, but do occur as thick as 20 cm and as thin as 2 cm. TEXTURE: The stone is very fine grained and displays compositional layering.
| Rank | Mineral Name | Class | Economic Mineral Type | Alteration Mineral Type | Alteration Ranking | Alteration Intensity | Alteration Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calcite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 2 | Dolomite | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 3 | Epidote | Economic | Ore | ||||
| 1 | Chalcocite | Economic | Gangue |
Dec 07, 2005 (W Bellinger) - MINERALOGY: In thin section the marble displays a fine-grained, saccharoidal texture. Minerals present include calcite, dolomite, epidote and opaque minerals, probably chalcocite. Some veinlets (< 2.0 mm) of calcite are seen. The saccharoidal texture indicates the rock has undergone extensive recrystallization. JOINTING: Horizontal partings are 1 to 4 m apart with a separation of 2 m being common. Major vertical fractures are 2 m apart with minor fractures occurring in between. These minor fractures may only be surface features. COLOUR: The stone is a layered marble composed of altered green limestone with purplish mudstone. The green and purple layers are generally 10 to 15 cm thick, but do occur as thick as 20 cm and as thin as 2 cm. TEXTURE: The stone is very fine grained and displays compositional layering. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: Sample No. 89MCK-0009: 35.21 SiO2, 0.20 TiO2, 8.20 Al2O3, 2.04 Fe2O3, 1.53 FeO, 0.05 MnO, 23.56 MgO, 26.74 CaO, 0.00 Na2O, 2.38 K2O, 0.09 P2O5. Sample No. 89MCK-0010: 29.19 SiO2, 0.10 TiO2, 5.20 Al2O3, 2.04 Fe2O3, 0.00 FeO, 0.03 MnO, 27.63 MgO, 35.32 CaO, 0.00 Na2O, 0.41 K2O, 0.07 P2O5. Analyses conducted by Geoscience Laboratories, Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto.
Map - Red Rock-Pine Portage sheet, District of Thunder Bay, geological compilation series
Publication Number: P0357 Scale: 1:126,720 Date: 1997
Author: Pye E.G.
Publisher Name: Ontario Dept. of Mines
Location:
Mono - Dimensional Stone Occurrences and Deposits in Northwest Ontario
Publication Number: OFR5890 Page: 139-142 Date: 1994
Author: Hinz P., Landry R.M., Gerow M.C.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
Map - Nipigon-Schreiber, geological compilation series, Thunder Bay District
Publication Number: M2232 Scale: 1:253,440 Date: 1973
Author: Carter M.W., McIlwaine W.H., Wisbey P.A.
Publisher Name: Ontario Division of Mines
Location:
Publication - Limestones of Canada, their occurrence and characteristics, part IV, Ontario; Canada Mines Branch, Publication no. 781
Publication Number: CMB Pub 781 Date: 1938
Author: Goudge, M.F.
Publisher Name: Canada Mines Branch
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/75823
File - Industrial minerals geologist files
Publication Number: IMF Date: 1996
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
File - Schreiber-Hemlo Resident Geologist Mineral Deposit Files, Thunder Bay office
Publication Number: Min Dep Date: 1996
Author:
Publisher Name:
Location: Thunder Bay RGP
Publication - Fort William and Port Arthur, and Thunder Cape map areas, Thunder Bay District, Ontario; Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 167
Publication Number: GSC Memoir 167 Date: 1931
Author: Tanton, T.L.
Publisher Name: Geological Survey of Canada
Location: https://doi.org/10.4095/100799
Mono - Industrial minerals of northern Ontario
Publication Number: MDC026 Page: 144 Date: 1985
Author: Vos M.A., Abolins T., McKnight R.L.W., Smith V.
Publisher Name: Ontario Geological Survey
Location:
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For detailed information regarding this mineral record please contact the Thunder Bay South Resident Geologist District Office