PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES BULLETIN NO. PORT HAWKESBURY PROJECT GEOLOGICAL, GEOCHEMICAL AND GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN INVERNESS AND RICHMOND COUNTIES, NOVA SCOTIA BY F. S. SHEA and J. D. WALLACE HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA 1962 HON. D. M. SMITH J. P. NOWLAN, PIZ.D, Minister Deputy Minister PORT HAWKESBURY PROJECT GE 0 LOGICAL, GEOCHEMICAL AND GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATIONS OP SOUTHWESTERN INVERNESS AND RICHMOND COUNTIES, NOVA SOOTIA BY F. S. SHEA and J. D. WALLACE NOVA SCOTIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES STELLARTON, NOVA SCOTIA AUGUST 1962 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION PAGE INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT 9 LOCATION AND SIZE 10 SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION 10 TRANSPORTATION 10 INDUSTRY AND MINING 12 TOPOGRAPHY, GLACIATION AND DRAINAGE 14 PREVIOUS WORK 16 MAPS PREPARED OF AREA 17 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 18 SUMMARY 18 CHAPTER II GENERAL GEOLOGY 22 General Statement 22 TARLE OF FORMATIONS DESCRIPTION OF FORMATIONS 25 George River Group - ---------------25 Distribution 25 Lithology 25 Metamorphism and Structures 26 Age and Correlation 26 DEVONIAN OR EARLIER INTRUSIVE ROCKS 27 Age 27 HORTON (?) OR POST HORTON (?) VOLCANIC, INTRUSIVE AND PYROCLASTIC ROCKS 28 Distribution ------- 28 Lithology - 28 Structures -------------- --_--_-- - ---------------_- 31 Origin and Age --------------------------33 MISSISSIPPIAN SEDIMENTS 34 horton Group -------------------- - - 34 Lithology - ---- 35 Structures 37 Contact -Relations 37 PAGE Origin 38 Age 38 Windsor Group 39 General 39 Distribution and ThIckness 42 Lltbology 43 Structural Relations 46 Origin and Age 48 MISSISSIPPIAN INTRUSIVES 47 Canso Group 47 General 47 Lithology 48 Structures 49 Origin and Age 49 PENNSYLVANIAN SEDIMENTS 50 Riversdale Group 50 Lithology 51 Structures 52 Origin and Age 53 POST R1VEESDALE SEDIMENTS 53 CHAPTER III STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY 54 Folds .------- 54 Faults - 54 Age of Faults ----------55 CHAPTER IV ECONOMIC GEOLOGY 57 Iiorton-Windsoi- Contact -. 57 METALLIC MINERAL OCCURRENCES --------------------------------57 Copper 57 Iron _ 57 NONMETALLIC DEPOSITS --------------------------------------------------------------------58 Gypsum - 58 Limestone 58 Fluorite - 59 Coal -------------------- 59 AEROMAGNETIC SURVEY - PACE GEOCHEMICAL SURVEY 59 BUILDiNG STONE 60 CHAPTER V WATER RESOURCES 62 General 62 Surface Waters 62 Lakes 62 Rivers and Streams 63 Subsurface Waters 63 Bored Wells %Tater Tests 64 CHAPTER VI SOIL CONDITIONS 66 General 66 DESCRIPTION OF SOIL IN MAP AREA 66 DiLigence Series 66 Queens Series - 67 Kingsville Series 67 Woodbourne Series 67 Shulie Series 67 Thom Series _ 67 Peat Series 68 Mira Series 68 Hebert Series __ _. 68 Coastal Beach Series 68 Others 69 AUGER BORINGS ---------- BIBLIOGRAPHY 72 LiST OF LLtJSTRATONS MAPS Map No. 1 Key Map of Frojet Area Map No. 2 Geological Map Map No. 3 Map showing General Soil Coverage Map No. 4 Geochemical Reconnaissance Map Map No. 5 Zoning Map of Project Area PLATES PRECEDING PAGE Plate 1 Aerial view of Nova Scotia Pulp Mill Limited site, Point Tupper, Nova Scotia Plate 2 Marine Railway Company Limited, Point Tupper, Nova Scotia Plate 3 Fig. 1View of marine storage facilities, British American Oil Co Ltd Point Tupper, Nowa . ti Fig. 2 View of 'Hawkesbury Heights" .'ie. Port Uawkesbury. Nova Scotia Plate 4 Construction ot' new gypsum loading -oinz Tupper, Nova Scotia 14 Plate 5 Contact o Horton quartzite and overlying north of Horton Lake Plate 6 Fig. iView of Horton shale and edz n Railway cut at Port Hastings No% Fig. 2Carbonaceous and calcareous I ';- in cut on Highway No. 4, Port Hastings'. ov Scotia 3 Plate 7 Fig. 1Small fault in Horton shale, Highway No. 5, Port Hastings, Nova Scotia Fig. 2Faults cutting Horton shale in cut on High. way No.. 5, Port Hastings, Nova Scotia 37 View of anticline in basal Windsor near Port llast jugs, railway station, Nova Scotia 44 Thin bedded Canso shales in cut on la5 No. 5, Port Hastings, Nova Scotia ,. .. $7 Shale and sandy shale beds of the RivedaJe Gro, Ship Harbour, Nova Scotia *t 30 po dlt jjjj p.ufl ';s U!Od 'ddnj, to q3° qj spunwwo Jo iu io suqsI3}j u us u uno.pq CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT A detailed investigation of the geology and surface conditions in the Port Hawkesbury - Port Hastings - Point Tuppei areas of Ri h nond and Ineines counties was car- ried out by the Nova Scotia Department of Mines, Geo- logical Division, during the 160 and 1961 field seasons. Thi in estigic oi Wa, concerned mimaiily with the assess- ment of bedrock and surf icial geology with emphasis on economic possibilities in relation to metallic and non- metallic minerals. The areas under investigation were divided into two parts: (1) the Immediate or Study area which consists of a rectangular biock of approximately 18 square miles stir- rounnding and including the communities of Port Hawkes- bury, Port Hastings and Point Tupper, and (2) a larger area which consists of approximately 100 square miles designated as the Metropolitan or "Metro" area. The Immediate or Study area was mapped on a scale of 1 inch to 400 feet and the 'MetLo" area on a ue of 1 inch to ¼ mile. I 2ox mat on gathered in the 'i mmedia.t.e Aea" has been ecorded in the P. -iiminary Repoi, Port Hawkesbury Project, 1961. However, a considea.!:le anioun of infor- mation found in the preliminary repott wid be included in this final report in order to maintain a maximum degree ol ontinuity tot the entire pioject ac The Preliminary Report, Port Havkeb.iry Project, l6I, dan be e t fom ti oa Scotia De- partment of Mines. LOCATION AND SIZE The area surveyed, which includes the Metropolitan and Immediate areas, covers a total of approximately 116.3 square miles. This area involves a portion of south- ern Inverness County and a portion of southwestern Rich- mond County on the island of Cape Breton. See Map 1. The area is bounded on the south, southwest and southeast by the Strait of Canso, Inhabitants Bay and Lennox Passage. It is bounded on the northwest and northeast by a line from Hefferman's Pond to Queensville and thence along the Inhabitants River to Cle eland and easterly along Highway No 4, and on the east by a line drawn north-south through Shannon Lake. More spe- cifically, it is the area zoned by the Inverness-Richmond Metropolitan Planning Commission in co-operation with the Department of Municipal Affairs of the Province of Nova Scotia. See Map 5. SCOPE OF INVESTIGATION The investigation and study of this area was carried out during the field ea,ons of 19,O and 1961 Fhe majoi portion of the work carried out in this area was survey- ing and mapping the bedrock geology. Limited studies were also made of soil conditions, source oe building ma- terials, potential water supply and economic geology. A preliminary study was made of the base metal content in the soils of aieas underlain by the WT1ndoIHolton sedi- mentary series and their contact. This work was done with a portable geochemical testing kit in the field. Field staff for the project consisted of two parties which mapped the bedrock geology and a two-man party which caiiied out soil geodhemical 'uIe\ ing Personnel of the field parties were students and graduates from Nova Scotia universities. The subjet matter of this iepoit will coei infor- mation from both the Metropolitan and Immediate area. TRANSPORTATION Water, rail and highway are the three modes o trans.- portation to, from, and in this u ea Appioximatl halt of the Metropolitan area is bounded b the Ltei. of the Strait of Canso Inhabitant Bay and Lennox. Pabage 10 4. udwo pwr1 D!Od 4i1d giving excellent facilities for coastal transportation be- tween towns and villages in this area. Prior to the construction of the Canso Causeway in 1955, transportation between mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island was dependent entirely upon car and railway ferries. Although this service was carried on for many years, it was far from satisfactory as numerous delays in transportation were clue to inclement weather, ice conditions, and severe tides at certain times of the year. With the construction of the Causeway, a readily accessible and permanent entry into Cape Breton Island from the mainland has been provided for rail and highway transportation. Probably one of the most important re- sults of the Causeway construction is the -formation of an excellent harbor south of the causeway from Port Hastings to Point Tupper. The harbor can readily cater to deep sea and coastal shipping, thus making this area one of the most promising locations for industrial development on the East coast of Canada. Water transportation has been important to this area in the past, is continuing at the present time, and will evidently play a major role iii the future by contributing to its development and prosperity. Examples of this are the construction of docking and loading facilities by the Nova Scotia Pulp Mill Limited and by the British American Oil Company Limited. While only limited loading and docking facilities now exist along the shore line of this area, an unlimited water frontage is ready for develop- ment. Loading and storage piers were being constructed in one section of this frontage for the Bestwall Gypsum Company In late 1961. The Canadian National Railways have one main line and three branch lines which service the Metropolitan area. The main line enters Cape Breton Island from mainland Nova Scotia via the Canso Causeway and runs through Port Hastings, Port Hawkesbury and all major points east to Sydney. One branch line leaves Port Hastings and runs northward, serving western Cape Breton to the town of Inverness. A second branch line serves Point Tupper and the Nova Scotia Pulp Mill Limited, while the third line runs east through Evanston, Whiteside, and Grand Anse to St. Peters, Richmond County. See Map 1.