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$?Pi\ Tqm[ Jmvmi\P°$ Photo: Thomas Fricke L % 45 5 65-#)&*.789:5* 65-#)0 .7(: ; " henever the University of Mani- The department of geological sciences, the are touched by it every day,” Elias says. “Hu- toba starts a new building project oldest of its kind in Western Canada, has mans rely on natural resources and the Earth on campus it piques Bill Brisbin’s been uncovering history in Manitoba for the is the supplier.” curiosity. What’s being constructed is of less past century. And it is celebrating its centen- He notes that geology also offers insights interest to the geology professor emeritus ary with a number of alumni events and pro- into climate change because it shows what than what the excavation uncovers – a slice jects. has happened in the past. of Manitoba’s history. Fundraising continues for two permanent “Geology is a fundamental in the world we Brisbin says when crews dug the ground for commemorative displays: a Mosaic Map of live in,” says Prof. Jim Teller. He points out the new lecture theatre at St. John’s College Manitoba to showcase the province’s ma- that where people spend their vacations, in 2008, it exposed clay deposits that had jor geological terrains in actual rock, and a where farmers grow their crops, the resour- been scoured off a retreating ice sheet about 5.5-metre History Wall to chronicle the de- ces that are mined, and even the landscapes 10,000 years ago. partment’s history, achievements, alumni of that photographers decide to shoot are all de- But you don’t have to dig deep to go even distinction and academic and professional termined by geology. farther back into Manitoba’s history. In fact, leaders. Teller has done world-renowned research on some parts of the Fort Garry campus you “We wanted something to celebrate the de- on Glacial Lake Agassiz, which was once the don’t have to dig at all. partment over time,” says Brisbin who gath- largest lake on Earth covering much of Mani- Prof. Bob Elias, who specializes in paleon- ered hundreds of historical photos for the toba, Saskatchewan and the northern United tology, says many of the university’s build- multimedia wall. States, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods ings feature a type of limestone, known as And geological sciences has a lot to cele- and Lake Manitoba are all remnants of the Tyndall stone that formed 450 million years brate. ancient body of water. ago when Manitoba was under seawater. He Since its inception in 1910, it has gone on “The lake was a very prominent compon- notes that the fossils found in Tyndall stone to be recognized worldwide as one of Can- ent of our history. It explains why much of – many of them corals and sponges visible to ada’s top geosciences units – a notable dis- southern Manitoba is so flat,” Teller says, the naked eye – help us understand Mani- tinction for an area of study that is arguably adding the province’s clay base and fertile soil toba’s past. “Fossils are the only direct evi- more important today than ever. exist because of Lake Agassiz. dence of ancient life,” says Elias. “They’re a “Geology is something that every person Renée Barclay record of our natural history.” needs to know something about because we 3 ## ## # Winnipeg Weekend 2010: GeoCanada 2010:# # # & ) For more information visit &' #/ umanitoba.ca/geosciences, N ! ' #! N!( ! & #*"01 #. e-mail [email protected] ! ' ! or call (204) 474.9371. Department History Wall and Mosaic Jack Gallagher Visiting Scientists: Geoscape Park: "# # Map of Manitoba Geology: " # $)'*+ #$ 2# # ' , - #. # $ # % # April 2010 25.

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