5-6 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 26 A. 1906 SUMMARY REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF CANADA F OR THE CALENDA R YEAR 1905 P R INTED BY OR DER OF P ARLIAME NT OTTAWA PRINTED BYS. E. DAWSON, PRIN'fER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1906 (No. 26-1906.J . .... ...... • -, . .. : : : ... ·: .. : ... ~ .. ...... : ... : : ., ; : : : .·. : ·. : ..- ·.. :····"·... : : ) · ~ .··· ·,·/ "• ..... ·.· : .. · : : :·· ·... .. ."' II.. ·. · :; ,.· •••· : ... • • ••··. , ".•:'"·.·:· "'.: . .. • : ·. : ••:: · ,:. • • • : : : . ·=· .... ...... ·. : :· .. ..... .. "., .: .~: . .. .. ... ~ " .... ... : : .. : : .. : ; : .. ' ~ ..... ...... ·.. ···.. : ...·" ·:·: .. ·... • .. .- .. ... .. : ·.· ..: ....·. ··. .. :; ·.·.:·.... ..... : ·. ...· .. ::·.: ... ......... ·:·• . • 5-6 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 26 A. 1906 To His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir Albert Henry George, Earl Grey, ,Viscount Howick, Baron Grey of Howick, a Baronet, G. C. M. G., &:c., &:c., &:c., Governor General oj Canada. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,- The undersigned has the honour to lay before Your Excellency, in compliance with 3 Vic., Chap. 2, Section 6, the Summary Report of the Operations of the Geological Survey Department for the calendar year ending December 31, 1905. Respectfully submitted. FRANK OLIVER, Ministe1· of the Interior . .. 5-6 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 26 A. 1906 rrABLE 0 F CONTENTS SUMMARY R EPOR'l' OJI 1'ffll ACTING D mECTOR :- Advantage of Geological Surveys .. ..... 1 Geological Society of America . .............. .... 2 International Geological Committee. .. ....... 2 Congress of Americani ts...... .. ... .............. .. 2 Canadian Committee of Geological_ omcnclature . 3 Field Work ....................... .. ....... 3 & 14 M ineral Production .. 5 Petroleum •md Natnral Gas in British Columbia and rorth-west Territories. ... .. ... ...... 7 Collections for Educational I urposes. 0 L iege International Exhibition . • . 9 H ydraulic Cement... .... .... , . 10 Utilization of L ow Grade Fuels............. ..... 11 Meteorites . ....... .... 11 L iterature of t he Geological Survey ... • 12 EXPLORA1'!0NS AND SURVEYS :- Yukon T erritory- Bead waters of White R iver .. 1\) Topography . • . ........ HJ Geology.... ...... ........ .. .......... .. ... ..... 21 I gneous Rocks ... , . • . .. .. .. ...... 22 Econoruic Geology . 23 Yukon and Mackenzie Districts- Peel R iver . .... .. 36 D escription of Routes . .. 38 T he Peel River.. .. .. .. .. .. 42 British Columbia­ Windy Arm District. S ituation and Communications.. .. .. .. 26 Character of Co.mtry . ........ 26 Geology. • . 27 General Character of Veins . ............ 28 M ining Development. 30 Reconnaissance on Stewart River. ........... ................. .... , .... 32 Unuk River Mining Region ................... .. .. .. ............... .t. 46 Geography... .. .. ............ 47 Geology. .. .. .. ..... .. 48 Mineral Deposits. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. 51 Sulphide Creflk.... .. .. ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ....... .. 51 Graham Island, (Queen Charlotte Group)... .. .. .. ... 53 Nanaimo-Comox Coal Field ............ , .......... ... 55 Northern Extension Elk River Coal Basin . ..... ....... .. ... .. ..... 59 Foothills of the Rocky Mountains. .. ....•...•. ... ...... 62 · Bow R iver Section . ... .. .. G2 South of Bow R i ver.... ... ... , . .... ............. .... ... 64 General Geology . • . .. .. .... .. .. .. .. 66 Manitoba- - Surface Geology .. .. 67 26-.. B vi GEOLOGIOAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT 5-6 EDOUARD VII, A. 1906 EXPLORA'l'ION AND SURVEYS-Concluded. North-west Territories- Surface Geology ......... 67 Alberta- Surface Geology . .... ... ... _.. .. .. .. ............. 67 K eewatin- Region South of Cape Tatnam. Hudson Bay. 69 Coast of Hudson Bay from York Factory to Severn River.. ..... .. 73 H eadwaters of the ·winisk and Attawapiskat Rivers.. ... .. 76 Ontario- Lake Superior Region.. ......... 80 h egion between Lake Tcmagami and Spanish R ivers, . ... ........ 82 l\Iuskoka District. ....... 84 Niagara Falls and Niagara District. .. .... .......... .. ... 87 P eterborough Sheet.... • . .. ... .. .. .. .. - . .. .. 92 Cobalt Mining District.. ...... ..... , . .. .. .. 94 Quebec-- Geology of Parts of Counties of L abelle and Wright.... 105 Western Part of the Northern Sheet . .. .. ... ........ , . 105 Eastern Part of the Southern Area. ...... 110 St. Bruno Mountain ... ..... 113 New Brunswick- Valley of the Tobique River . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 115 Charlotte County. .. .. 117 Nova Scotia- Geological Work in Northwestern Parts... .......... 118 Gold Fields ...... ..... .. ................... ..... ............. •. .... , . 122 Chemistry and Mineralogy . ......... ... .. , . ..... , . , . 125 Palaeontology and Zoology. 131 Vertebrate Palaeontology. 130 Note on the Age of the Horsefly, Similkameen and Tranquille Tertiary Beds of the Southern Interior of British Columbia............................. ........ ... 137 Botany and Climate of the Northwest Side of the Low~r St. Lawrence. .. 138 Botanical Work on the Southern Boundary of BritiEh Columbia.... 139 Mapping and Engraving... .... 140 Library . ..... .. ....... .... , . 143 Staff, Appropriation, Expenditure and Correspondence..... 144 t 5-6 EDWARD VII. SESSIONAL PAPER No. 26 A. 1906 SUMMARY REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SUR\TEY OF CANADA FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1905. The Honourable FRANK OLIVER, M.P., Minister of the Interior. Srn,-The following report, which I have the honour to submit in conformity with the Act under which the Geological Survey is prosecuted, is intended to give a concise statement of the work which was performed by the department during the calendar year 1P05. This work, both in the field and at headquarters in Ottawa, consisted entirely of original investigation and was directed primarily to increasing our knowledge of the mineral wealth of Canada. Our researches every year prove more and more con­ clusively that the mineral resources of this country are both great.and varied and that they will constitute an important factor in the growth and prosperity of the Dominion. While the discovery and making known of the mineral wealth of the country are the main objects aimed at, the work must be carried on in an intelligent and systematic manner, with a view to ultimately obtaining the greatest results. The reasons for some of our methods and operations may, therefore, not be at once understood by those unfamiliar wi th scientific pursuits. One of the first things to be done is to ascertain and to show by maps, the distribu­ tion, on the ground, of the different rock formations. A certain useful mineral may be confined to one of these; different · minerals may likewise be found in other formations, while other rocks again may carry nothing of economic value. The minerals peculiar to the various zones or different areas of rock may have certain peculiarities or signs as to their modes of occurrence. With a knowledge of these conditions, the prospector may confine his search within the area which alone can reward his labours, thus saving his time and affording him a better chance of success. For the purpose of working out and defining the boundaries of the different rock­ formations in un urveyed or imperfectly known districts, it becomes necessary for the geologist, or his assistant, to make the indispensable topographical surveys. Again, in order to lay down this work properly on paper, a knowledge of mapping is requisite. Then, if we wish to connect together or show the relations of important geological areas, we sometimes require to make accurate astronomical observations, or to run lines of 26-1 2 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTJIENT 5-6 EDWARD VII., A. 1906 survey where no rocks at all may be exposed, and, in fact, to take every means to secure all the data required for the construction of a good map. It might happen that geologi­ cal lines, which are really nearly traight, if laid down on the basis of an inaccurate topographical map, would appear distorted, and vice versa. As much as our field-work is now being done in unsurveyed and even unexplored regions, the most useful geologist is he who is also a good surveyor. Apart from the geological work which he performs, his service to geography is worth more than the cost of both. Owing to the fact that the topographical feature everywhere depend upon the geological structure, the geologist. becomes the best topographer. In the last five years the maps which have been actually issued by the department amount to upwards of 150, while 27 more are almost finished and a considerable number are in variou. stages of drafting and engraving. When all these are issued, the number of separate maps produced in the above five years will amount to nearly half of the total since the commencement of the Survey in 1843. GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, On the invitation of the Logan Club, which consists of the technical officers of the Geological Survey, the Geological Society of America held itr; annual meeting for 1905 in Ottawa from the 26th to the 29th December. A number of Yaluable papers were read and the meeting proved successful. INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL L:OMMITTEE. During its . ession the members of the central or parent International Geological Committee (Drs. C. Van Hise, C. vV. Hayes, R. Bell and F. D. Adams) held a meeting and decided to continue field-work during the coming summer. The region selected for investigation and comparison was that covered by the Haliburton and Bancroft geologi­ cal maps which have been already