Hall of Fame to induct GSC’s Logan

The founding director of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), which will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year, will be inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame in January, it was announced in Ottawa at the ninth annual Canadian Mineral Outlook Conference.

Sir William Logan, who died at age 77 in 1875, is considered to be the “Father of Canadian Geology.” He launched the first survey in Quebec to find coal deposits. Although the search for coal was unsuccessful, the survey did find the metallic minerals that now form the basis of hard rock mining in Quebec.

Logan received a knighthood from Queen Victoria in 1856, the Cross of the Legion of Honor from the Emperor of France in 1855, and the Wollaston Medal, the Royal Society of England’s highest honor. As well, he established the Logan Chair of Geology at McGill University and the Logan Medal. The GSC was one of the first surveys of its kind in the world. Originally established to help stimulate metal discoveries across the country, the government-sponsored organization has grown from a 2-man operation in 1842 into a 900-strong research unit.

During that time, the GSC’s findings have been published in thousands of books, reports and maps, while the value of Canada’s mineral production has grown from almost nothing to $41 billion in 1990.

In the early years, the GSC covered more than just geology. Staff members also studied and documented geography, topography, plants, animals, birds and archaeology.

But since then, the organization has become more specialized. Many of the survey’s topographic mapping and policy duties have been transferred to other sections of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada.

The official birthdate of the GSC has been set at April 14, 1842, the day Logan accepted his appointment to launch the survey. Celebrations will take place throughout the year.

Logan will be one of eight persons inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Jan. 6 ceremony in Toronto.