= CANADA
i WwW DEPARTMENT OF MINES
19724 oe CODERRE, Minister A. P. LOW, Deputy Minister
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
. W. BROCE, Director
!
ee GUIDE BOOK No.5
- EXCURSIONS
in the
| Viester Peninsula
of Ontario and
Manitoulin =
OTTAWA
ith GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU
| 1913
GUIDE BOOK No. 5
EXCURSIONS
IN THE
Western Peninsula of Ontario and
Manitoulin Island
(EXCURSIONS B 4, B 7, B 9 AND C 5.)
ISSUED BY THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
OTTAWA
GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU
y 1913
Ni
35066-—1
\ uw
GUIDE BOOK No. 5.
Excursions in the Western Peninsula
of Ontario and Manitoulin Island.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Excursion B4—Silurian section at the Forks of
Credit river, by William A. Parks. 5
Excursion B7—Ordovician section on Credit River
near Streetsviile, by W. A. Parks. 15
Excursion B9—Algonquin beach, Glacial phenomena
and Lowville limestone in Lake
Simcoe district, Ontario, by W. A.
JOMMstonn ces occ ot ee eee on 23
Excursion C5—Geology of selected areas on Lakes
Huron and Erie in the Province of
Ontario, by W. A. Parks, C. R.
Stauffer, M. Y. Williams and T.
Tee AWW rally tate Mitesh, ire in ware cies ie ara o7
ister llwistraviOnSts-lcc-en ana oe ees a ee 108
35066—14
5
EXCURSION B 4.
SILURIAN SECTION AT THE FORKS OF
CREDIT RIVER, ONTARIO.
BY
WILLIAM A. PARKS.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE.
HINGROUINGHTONM ce irae cha: are aleve ue, Myon ee 6
PAT OPAe Ogu G Ox nares te asise msc SOAS cael en eae a cee oe 6
MO GCUMOISE WE AC we ain lo ee tence ee ye 6
Lorraine and Richmond at Streetsville........ o]
Gar Cucccriontr ws es ee 8
GreditsRorks Section)... 3.62 sacs ak 12
Ball Baan tet ces tit a) era et cots es vy Sete 13
6
INTRODUCTION.
The remarks contained in the introduction to the
guide book for Excursion B3 are equally applicable to the
section at Credit Forks. In fact the sections at Hamilton
and at the Forks of the Credit are both essential to an
understanding of the formations exposed along the face
of the Niagara cuesta. For the correlation of these sections
and for the necessary general information the reader is
referred to the guide book for Excursion B3.
ANNOTATED GUIDE.
IRoguUOIS BEACH.
Miles and
Kilometres.
Toronto On leaving the city, the
Oly i001 Alt. 254 ft. railway traverses a flat area
o. km. 77.2m. covered with post-glacial
sands showing evidence of
wind action. At Lambton, the shore of the
post-glacial Lake Iroquois is
6.7m. Lambton visible to the north, where
LOU7 kam, Alt. 399 ft. excavations have been made
I21.3m.in the characteristic gravel
bars of the ancient beach.
On crossing the Humber river, good expo-
sures of the Lorraine shales may be seen in
the scarped banks of the stream. The
Humbervale quarry near here has yielded
many excellent examples of the large trilobite,
Isotelus maximus, Locke. Further expo-
sures of the Lorraine shales occur in the valley
of Mimico river a short distance beyond the
Humber.
At this point the railway
14.4m. Cooksville approaches so close to the
23 km. ANNE, QO Mi Iroquois beach that expo-
118.8 m. sures of the gravel bars may
be seen from the train. Just
beyond Cooksville, the beach is ascended and
a more rolling aspect is presented by the
surface of the country owing to less modifi-
cation of the glacial accumulations by post-
glacial agencies.
Guide Books Nos. 6 and 7
are published by the Bureau of Mines, Toronto,
Ontario. The contents of these are as follows:
GUIDE BOOK No. 6.
Toronto and vicinity. by A. P. Coleman.
Moraines north of Toronto, by F. B. Taylor.
Muskoka Lakes, by G. G. S. Lindsey.
Clay deposits and works near Toronto, by
M. B. Baker.
The Madoe area, by Cyril W. Knight.
GUIDE BOOK No. 7.
Preface, by W. G. M.
The Sudbury area, by A. P. Coleman.
The Cobalt area, by Willet G. Miller.
The Poreupine area, by A. G. Burrows.
Timagami, by Willet G. Miller.
WA rasa > bop iecitew Depred ae or
SS een pene 7 —smetneengl
5 i s
‘
et
a
e ~e
a,
4
anSmadawy { f Ss
BMSWNG) Sas | e
ae
nv
B4andBé.
True North
Legend
Niagara
Lockport
Cataract
Silurian
Cataract
(basal)
Richmond
Queenston
Fichmond
and Lorraine
Ordovician
Norval 5
Route map between Streetsville and Credit Forks
Miles
1 Q 2 + 6
Kilometres
Lo 2 + G a
y ae Bret e
a ae eed le Oe ee ee ee en i ok
i
LORRAINE AND RICHMOND FORMATIONS AT
STREETSVILLE.
Miles and
Kilometres.
In the valley of the Credit
20.8 m.. Streetsville river at Streetsville, Lorraine
B3n3 kal: Alt. 500 ft. shales are overlain by fossil-
152m. iferous strata of the Rich-
mond formation. To the
west of Streetsville this marine type of Rich-
mond, in its turn, is covered by the red unfos-
siliferous shales of the Queenston member of
Niagara cuesta at the Forks of the Credit.
the Richmond. While this member is entirely
without organic remains in the southern part
of the province, it reveals a distinct Richmond
fauna at points farther north. Beyond
Streetsville the ascent is gradual but continu-
ous. Little of interest is to be observed until
8
See the vicinity of Cheltenham is reached when
the Niagara cuesta comes into view.
At Inglewood the red Rich-
41.3m. Inglewood mond shales are exposed in
66 km. Alt. 896 ft. undulating hills which are
272.4 m. surmounted by the _ sharp
escarpment of the Niagara
cuesta, topped by the heavy beds of the
Lockport dolomite.
On crossing the high
45.5m. Forks of Credit bridge over the Belfontain
72.8 Ki.
...Dept. Mines, Can., Mines Branch,
The Building and Ornamental
Stones of Canada, pp. 146-164.
Soe Miller Ws Ge ao5. Bur, Mines) Ont., Rép, 19004 Pe.
U, Pp. 39, 58, 95, 126.
4. Schuchert, Charles... Forthcoming article on the Catar-
act formation in Bull. Geol. Soc.
Am., Vol. 24.
15
EXCURSION B 7.
ORDOVICIAN SECTION ON CREDIT
RIVER NEAR STREETSVILLE,
ONTARIO.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
Introductione ss .65 eo enh a Zot ter eer is 16
PATNI PAC CeO UICle yas ence rie Mie nies tik eee } fd 16
huchiondrand Wworraine formations. 5.20044. 17,
| OTIS ae GVOV YG Ie Meee ccdea lass anlar pene a AND ae ane eed te eg 17
POR AVN CR ee oir eae ees Sink erste ete eel ity ane 19
DX
16
INTRODUCTION.
The upper Ordovician strata of North America occur
in formations of so variable a character in different locali-
ties that their exact correlation is a matter of difficulty.
The practice is now becoming general to embrace the
whole series in the term Cincinnatian and to recognize
the following formations:
Richmond,
Lorraine,
Eden,
Utica,
Collingwood.
The Richmond is a widespread and highly fossiliferous
formation, which has been divided into several members
in the Cincinnati area. The Lorraine formation is less
well defined, particularly in the Streetsville section, but
it seems advisable to retain the name rather than to add
to the large number of loca! formational names.
The Richmond, as exposed in Ontario, consists of a
series of marine limestones and shales, and a great thickness
of red shales with some green bands and an occasional
bed of limestone. The marine type is best exposed in the
Manitoulin islands, whence it may be traced with gradualiy
diminishing thickness to the vicinity of Streetsville. The
red Richmond shales (Queenston formation) are of great
thickness at Niagara and Grimsby, where they are unfos-
siliferous and rest directly on the Lorraine. Northward,
the formation diminishes in thickness, overlies the marine
type and carries fossils characteristic of the Richmond at
Collingwood on Georgian bay.
ANNOTATED GUIDE.
Miles and
Kilometres.
Om. Toronto.—Alt. 254 ft. (77.4 m.)
o km.
Dats GP ane Streetsville Junction.—Alt. 549 ft. (107
34.7 km. m._ A general account of the country along
the line of the rai way between Toronto and
Streetsville is given in he guide to Excursion
B4.
17
RICHMOND AND LORRAINE FORMATIONS.
The Cincinnatian strata exposed in the vicinity of
Streetsville consist of the upper red unfossiliferous shales
of the Queenston division of the Richmond, the grey shales
and limestones with intercalated coral reefs of the marine
Richmond, and the lower arenaceous limestones and shales
of the Lorraine formation.
In the valley of the Credit river above the railway
bridge, the sha'es and limestones of the marine R’chmond
yield an abundant fauna. The lower part of the river
valley shows the underlying Lorraine shales and arenaceous
limestones of increasing thickness as the river is descended.
Anticline in Richmond strata, Streetsville, Ontario.
RICHMOND FORMATION.
___The red Richmond shales (Queenston) are not exposed
in the valley, but they may be seen in the vicinity. The
35066—2
18
different beds of the marine Richmond and the Lorraine
are not very persistent; in consequence, it is somewhat
difficult to correlate the strata of different exposures.
The most continuous layer is a heavy bed of limestone
with numerous bryozoa which lies near the base of the
Richmond.
A cliff of about 25 feet (7-6 m.) of limestone and
shale is presented by the scarped bank of the river near
the bridge to the northward of Streetsville Junction. The
lower portion only is actually exposed and shows the heavy
bryozoan layer of about two feet in thickness. Beneath
this are thin-bedded limestones and shales, which may
belong to the Richmond or to the underlying Lorraine.
This is one of the best localities for collecting the typical
stromatoporoids and corals:
Stromatocerium huronense Billings.
Columnaria alveolata Goldfuss.
Columnaria calicina (Nicholson).
Streptelasma rusticum (Billings).
Tetradium minus Safford.
Just below this point an interesting minor anticline
is shown: the heavy bryozoan layer forms the surface
rock, but it is covered by three feet of boulder clay con-
taining pebbles and also corals and stromatoporoids of
the local formation. The northeast side shows glacial
grooving and polishing, but the southwest side is much
less affected by the passage of the glacier.
The upper limestones, shales and coral reefs are ex-
cellently exposed at several points on the west side of the
river above the bridge. Besides the stromatoporoids and
corals an abundant fauna is presented, of which the follow-
ing are the more common species :—
Callopora sp.
Prasopora cf. hospital s (Nicholson).
Rhombotrypa quadrata (Rominger).
Catazyga headi (Billings).
Hebertella occidentalis (Hall).
Platystrophia biforata (Schlotheim).
Platystrophia laticosta (Meek).
Platystrophia clarksvillensis Foerste.
19
Rafinesquina cf. alternata (Emmons).
Strophomena planumbona Hall, S. rugosa Blatinville.
Zygospira modesta Hall.
Cyclonema bilix Conrad.
Lophosira bowdeni (Safford).
Lophospira sp. nov.
Oxydiscus sp.
Schizolopha tropidophora (Meek).
Schizolopha moorei Ulrich.
Byssonychia grandis Ulrich.
Byssonychia radiata (Hall).
Byssonychia richmondensis Ulrich.
Cymatonota typicalis Ulrich.
Modiolopsis concentrica Hall and Whitfield.
Modiolopsis cf. versaillensis Miller.
Opisthoptera casei (Meek and Worthen).
Pterinea demissa (Conrad).
LORRAINE FORMATION.
Below th: po:n first described the slant of the river
bed causes an increasing thickness of the underlying Lor-
raine to be revealed. Excellent exposures are presented
near the bridge on the road between Streetsville and
Streetsville Junction, and also immediately above the
railway bridge. The section at the former point is as
follows :—
Richmond—
1. Corralline limestones and shales..... 18 ft. 5-4m.
2. Grey, thin-bedded limestone and shale .3 ft. -9 m.
3. Compact bryozoan limestone........1-6 ft. -35 m.
Lorraine—
4. Grey shale and thin-bedded limestone 3 ft. -9m.
Gee OAMGSEOMEN es ea et en aces 4 in. 10cm.
Nos. 1 and 3 contain the typical gastropod,
brachiopod and pelecypod fauna.
No. 2 is characterized by the presence of Byssonychia
richmondensis, Ulrich.
No. 4 contains scarcely any organic remains.
35066—24
20
No. 5 is not richly fossiliferous, but it presents ex-
amples of Rafinesquina alternata (Kmmons), Opisthoptera
sp. and Modtolopsis concentrica, Hall and Whitfield.
Near the railway bridge the cliff presents a face of
about 31 feet (9-4 m.). The lower 17 feet (5-2 m.) consist
of sandstones and shales with obscure and fragmentary
fossils: these beds, in whole or in part, are to be referred
Lorraine sandstone and shales, Credit river near Streetsville, Ontario.
to the Lorraine. The upper 14 feet (4-2 m.) consist of
limestone and shale with brachiopods and b: yozoa typical
of the Richmond. The coral and stromatoporoid zone
does not appear at this point, nor is it encountered farther
down the river.
On the east side of the stream, about a half-mile
below the railway bridge, a cliff of 25 feet (7-6m.) in
height presents exposures of Lorraine limes ones, sha'es
and sandstones. Some interesting features of cross bedding
21
and ‘pillow structure’? in sandstone, with contempor-
aneous erosion of the underlying beds, are to be seen at
different horizons in the exposures.
“Pillow’”’ sandstone with contemporaneous erosion in Lorraine beds, Streetsville,
Ontario.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
1. Logan, Sir W E......Geol. Sur. Can., Rep. 1863, pp.
198-224.
2. Nicholson, H. A. ....Rep. Pal. Prov. Ontario, pp. 21-38,
1874.
See also the literature cited for the Manitoulin islands,
Excursion C-5.
23
EXCURSION B 9.
ALGONQUIN BEACH, GLACIAL PHE-
NOMENA AND LOWVILLE (OR-
DOVICIAN) LIMESTONE IN
LAKE SIMCOE DIS-
TRICT, ONTARIO.
BY
W. A. JOHNSTON.
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
EMEROGUICHO Merete ss rch ow apa Gn ee feet oun een 24
JENS OTOVO TEE NUSTGL- (OA UN UCL aeterae ay Race ttey eae Meet iene yee ted 28
Geology of the district about Orillia.............. Bit
(GROTON: bh Sten ti gd oe een ng, 2 Cea a omen, Cot ae 31
Section of the Lowville formation...... Be
Bibliography
24
INTRODUCTION.
The excursion will proceed by Grand Trunk Railway
from Toronto to the town of Orillia, which is situated near
the narrows between Lakes Couchiching and Simcoe and
distant from Toronto in a northerly direction about 85
miles (136.8 km.).
En route, after reaching the Lake Simcoe basin, the
Algonquin beach may be seen from the train at several
points along the railway. After a closer inspection of the
beach at the town of Orillia, a trip will be made by motor
to the Longford quarries on Lake St. John about 8 miles
(12.9 km.) in a northeasterly direction from Orillia, where
a good section may be seen of the Lowville (Birdseye)
limestone with basal series of shales, sandstone, etc.,
resting unconformably on the Pre-Cambrian crystalline
rocks. Returning from Longford along the Monck road
about 7 miles (11.3 km.) from Orillia, a section may be
seen shewing a glacially transported, large boulder or mass
of bedded Lowville limestone underlain by till.
The Algonquin beach is well developed in the Lake
Simcoe district, where it forms a record of the abandoned
shoreline of the immense body of water which occupied
the Huron and Michigan basins at the close of Glacial
time. In this district, as well as in the northern portions
of the Huron and Michigan basins, the beach has an upward
tilt towards the northeast. Around the southern ends of
Lakes Huron and Michigan, the beach becomes horizontal
at an altitude of about 600 feet (182.9 m.) and maintains
that height over a considerable area [1]. Hence it is
supposed that the water of Lake Algonquin stood at this
altitude viz. 600 feet (182.9 m.) above sea level.
The lowest point reached by the beach in the Lake
Simcoe district is in the valley of Holland river about 15
miles (24.1 km.), south of the extreme head of Lake Simcoe,
where the beach has an altitude of 724 feet (220.6 m.), or
only 6 feet above Lake Simcoe. It gradually rises to a
point about 6 miles (9.6 km.) northwest of Orillia where it
has an altitude of 883 feet (269.2 m.), the highest altitude
attained by the beach on the west side of Lake Simcoe
basin.
About 20 miles (32.2 km.) east of Orillia, near the
village of Kirkfield, where for a time the waters of Lake
Algonquin discharged eastward into the valley now occu-
‘olequg ‘Avg Ajueys Ieou yoeoq uINbDuUOSTY JO YNIq pue d9v110} UMDI4S-IOpP[NOg
‘O° NOISUNOXG,
26
pied by the Trent chain of lakes and rivers, the beach has
an altitude of 883 feet (269.2 m.) and 15 miles (24.2 km.)
farther north rises to 925 feet (282.0 m.). Northward
from the latter point, on account of the rough and com-
paratively little drift-covered surface of the country, the
beach is difficult to follow and although a strong beach,
supposed to represent the Algonquin, has been found at
a number of points as far northward as the town of North
Bay, sufficient data have not been collected to enable
definite correlations to be made.
The maximum tilt rate of the beach in the Lake
Simcoe “district is in a direction’ -N.-217 —2 eae
the rate increases from 2.3 feet (.7 m.) per mile in the
southern portion to nearly 6 feet (1.8 m.) in the northern
portion. Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching, and a number
of smaller lakes to the east, occupy shallow basins which
rarely exceed 100 fee: (30.5 m.) in depth, and evidently
owe their present existence as lakes to the upward tilting
of the land towards the north. Were the land depressed
to the relative altitude which it had when the Algonquin
beach was made the present outlet of Lake Couchiching,
for example, would be about 175 feet (53.3 m.) lower.
North and east of Lake Simcoe, the drift is relatively
thin, but in the district to the west and southwest of the
lake the drift becomes much thicker, and no exposures of
solid rocks are known to occur. Well borings made in
this district show the drift deposits to have a thickness
of at least 375 feet (114.3 m.), and as the drift hills rise
to an altitude of 200 to 300 feet (61 to 91 m.) above the
valleys in which the borings were made it is possible that
the drift has in places a much greater thickness.
Numerous sections in the drift show two till sheets
separated by stratified sands and gravels. The uppermost
or last till sheet consists of two distinct portions, an upper
part, often with a well bedded character and composed
of a loose sandy till, and a lower portion consisting of a
more compact, sandy clay till with little or no trace of
stratification. Associated with the former and generally
crowning the summits of hills and ridges are well stratified
deposits of sands and gravels, which often bear a semblance
to beach ridges. Their mode of origin is not clear, but
they do not appear to be referable to wave built features.
Over a considerable part of the district the till of the
lower portion of the last till sheet merely forms a thin
27,
veneer which conforms to the contour of the underlying
stratified sands, gravels and clays. These interglacial or
interstadial beds are of considerable thickness, and appear
to have suffered erosion for a long period of time prior
to the deposition of the last till sheet, during which time
broad valleys were carved in the earlier deposits.
The till of the lowei till sheet is generally only exposed
in the beds of streams, where it is seen to be composed of
hard, compact, sandy clay till, without stratification,
containing numerous well polished and striated cobbles
and boulders. This till withstands erosion remarkably
well, and where trenched by streams is sometimes seen
to stand up in vertical sections or to form rock-like ledges
which cause rapids.
Well borings in the district show the presence of a
still lower till sheet, but this till is not known to be exposed
in any sections.
Extensive deposits of stratified sands, gravels and
lake clays also occur in the district below the level of the
Algonquin beach.
So far as known, no fossils have been obtained in this
district from the sands and gravels of the Algonquin beach
or from the interglacial beds. Fresh water shells are,
however, abundant in the sands and clays of the valley
of Nottawasaga river, but at no great height above Georgian
bay.
On the northeastern side of Lake Simcoe an area of
drumlins of the long nairow type is well developed. The
drumlins are generally composed of a sandy unstratified
till or boulder clay which appears to be almost entirely
derived from the last till sheet. The longer axes of the
drumlins coincide with the di ection of glaciation as shown
by striae on adjacent rock surfaces. The general direction
of glaciation throughout the district is towards the south-
west, and, as a rule, wherever the surface of the rock has
been protected from weathering, striae are abundant and
well preserved.
Over a considerable portion of the district around
the west and south sides of Lake Simcoe, imperfect drumlin
forms are developed, and in fact the greater part of the
region appears to have been subjected to some degree of
ice moulding beneath the overriding ice of the last sheet.
Accordingly terminal moraines or ice marginal deposits
are rarely well seen in the district. Some parts of the area,
28
notably the relatively high upland tract lying to the south
of the town of Barrie, are gently undulating, nearly flat,
till plains characterized by numerous small depressions.
The most notable exception to the prevailing ‘“‘d:um-
linized”’ and till plain surface is the range of hills which
lies about midway between the towns of Barrie and Orillia
and from 7 to 10 miles (11 to 16 km.) west of the ‘ake.
These hills, the highest of which rises to an altitude of
nearly 600 feet (182.9 m.) above Lake Simcoe, are com-
posed, in greater part, of a loose sandy till partially strati-
fied. They are, in part morainic in character and appear
to have been formed during the retreat of the last ice
sheet.
The greater portion of the area of Lake Simcoe district
is underlain by limestones of the Trenton, Black River
and Lowville formations (Ordovician), the last of which
rests unconformably on Pre-Cambrian crystalline :ocks.
The limestones dip gently towards the southwest at a rate
generally not exceeding 25 feet (7.6 m.) per mile, and have
an estimated maximum thickness in the district of 550
feet (167.7 m.). Eastward from the lake, the limestones
are often well exposed and form a rock divide between the
waters of Lake Simco and Trent valley.
The northern portion of the district, including the
area surrounding the lower end of Lake Couchiching, is
occupied by Pre-Cambrian rocks. Near the contact of
the limestones with the Pre-Cambrian rocks, an escarp-
ment is generally developed, and fronting the escarpment,
and often at a considerable distance from it, are
numerous outliers of limestone, showing that the limestone,
at one time, extended far over the Pre-Cambrian rocks to
the north.
ANNOTATED GUIDE.
Miles and
Kilometres.
Om. Toronto, (Union Station). Alt. 254.0
o km. feet (77.4 m.).
14.0 m. Thornhill.—Alt. 635 feet (193.5 m.).
225) kin. Leaving Toronto the railway passes north-
ward over a series of drift hills and ridges
locally known as Oak Ridges which are, in
part, morainic in character, and extend for
Miles and
Kilometres.
At 2 100s
66.3 km.
64.0 m.
103.0 km.
29
over 100 miles (161 km.) in a general east
and west direction, roughly parallel to Lake
Ontario and a few miles north of the lake.
The drift in the hills, which rise to an altitude
of 600 to 900 feet (182.9 m. to 274.3 m.)
above Lake Ontario, is known to be of con-
siderable thickness. At Thornhill, 14 miles
(22.5 km.) north of Toronto, a well boring
penetrated 640 feet (195.1 m.) of drift before
reaching the Trenton limestone which was
the first solid rock formation encountered.
The boring continued through 585 feet (178.3
m.) of the Trenton, Black River and Lowville
formations to the Pre-Cambrian.
Chesley. Alt. 980 feet (298.7 m.). One
mile south of Chesley station, the summit on
the line of railway is passed at an altitude of
1,002 feet (305.4 m.). Going northward,
the railway rapidly descends in'o a broad
valley which extends, nearly at the level of
Lake Simcoe (low water 718 feet, 218.9 m.),
for some 20 miles (32.2 km.) southward from
the head of the lake. This valley was occu-
pied by a deep embayment of Lake Algonquin,
the shoreline of which is well marked on both
sides of the valley. Near the village of
Sch mberg, at a point about 15 miles (24.1
km.) south of the extreme head of the lake,
the Algonquin beach has an altitude of 724
feet (220.7 m.), only 6 feet (1.8 m.) above
the level of Lake Simcoe.
Bradford. Alt. 724 feet (220.7 m.) At
the town of Bradford, a well boring penetrated
330 feet (100.6 m.) of drift deposits before
reaching the Trenton limestone. The terrace
and bluff of the Algonquin beach near the
station, has an altitude of 749.0 feet (228.3
m.). At Lefroy 10 miles (16.1 km.) further
north, the beach which may be seen on the
west side of the railway near the station, rises
to 774 feet (235.9 m.).
Barrie. Alt. 726 feet (221.3 m.). The
town of Barrie is situated at the head of
Kempenfeldt bay, an arm of Lake Simcoe.
Miles and
Kilometres.
86.0 m.
138.5 km.
30
A broad flat-bottomed valley extends west-
ward for a number of miles from the head of
the bay, and is floored by a considerable
thickness of sands and gravels derived from
the Algonquin beach, which has an altitude,
at the town of Barrie, of 785 feet (239.6 m.).
The sides of the valley are composed of drift,
and rise steeply to an altitude of over 200
feet (60.9 m.) above the valley bottom.
The record of a well boring, made near the
town of Barrie, shows the surface deposits to
have a thickness of 335 feet (102.1 m.) below
the level of Lake Simcoe at which point the
Trenton limestone was struck. The boring
continued through 200 feet (60.9 m.) of the
limestones of the Trenton, Black River and
Lowville formations to the Pre-Cambrian.
The deep borings mentioned above as having
been made in the drift deposits at Thornhill,
Bradford and Barrie, together with several
others made in the district, confirm the ex-
istence of a deeply drift-filled pre-glacial valley
connecting the basins occupied by Georgian
bay and Lake Ontario, the probable existence
of which was pointed out by J. W. Spencer.
[4.]
Between the towns of Barrie and Orillia,
a distance of about 25 miles (40.3 km.), the
Algonquin beach is well developed and can
be followed with nearly perfect continuity all
the way. Throughout the greater part of
the distance, the railway follows along almost
at the same altitude as the beah. At
Hawkestone, about 14 mlies (22.5 km.) north
of Barrie, the bluff and boulder-strewn terrace
of the ancient shoreline may be seen a short
distance west of the station at an altitude of
821 feet (250.2 m.).
Orillia. Alt. 724 feet (320.7 m.).
31
GEOLOGY OF THE DISTRICT AROUND
ORTPETA:
GENERAL.
The town of Orillia is situated near the narrows
between Lakes Couchiching and Simcoe, and is built in
part on a sandy terrace just below the Algonquin beach.
In the town, along the Coldwater road, which is the main
road leading westward, the cut bluff and boulder pavement
of the beach may be well seen. A mile west of the town,
a gravel pit shows a section across a great barrier beach
having an altitude of 853 feet (260-0m.) or 135 feet
(41-2 m.) above Lake Simcoe.
North and east of Orillia the drift is relatively thin,
but west and southwest it becomes quite thick. A well
boring made in the town itself shows the surface deposits
to have a thickness of 170 feet (51-8m.). A half-mile
north of the station at Orillia, a cutting on the Canadian
Pacific railway shows well stratified sand overlain by till,
and a half-mile east of the station a cutting affords a
section through a drumlin-like ridge composed of boulder
clay. Northeast and east of Orillia an area of small
drumlins and drumlin-like ridges is developed. The
drumlins are generally long and narrow, and range in
height from a maximum of 60 feet (18-2 m.) down to
10 feet (3 m.) or even less, and vary in length from two
miles to one quarter mile or less. The longer axes of the
drumlins are nearly parallel and coincide with the direction
of glaciation, which was towards the southwest. The
drumlins are generally composed of sandy boulder clay,
showing little cr no stratification. Occasionally they are
seen to be, in part, composed of coarse sand and gravel
partially stratified, with numerous boulders and cobble
stones. At the north end of one of these drumlins one
mile (1-6km.) east of North Mara post office, along
Monck road, a section shows a large boulder or mass of
bedded Lowville limestone, which is underlain by drift and
was evidently glacially transported or shoved so that it
now rests at a steep angle on the northern slope of the
drumlin. The section is exposed by the face of the lime-
stone having been opened up as a quarry.
No exposures of solid rocks are known to occur in
the immediate vicinity of the town of Orillia, but a short
*JOEYUOD VY} SYIvU JaAOYS Vy} JO aseq ay:
119 Aq wrepopun suojsaury a[]JAMo7T peppeq jo sseut paziodsuey) Ayers SUIMOYS U0IWIaS
‘0 'gq NOISUNOXY
33
distance to the north and northeast the limestones of the
Black River and Lowville formations, which underlie the
Trenton limestone and rest unconformably on the Pre-
Cambrian rocks, are well exposed and overlap the Pre-
Cambrian. The northern end of Lake Couchiching is
occupied by the Pre-Cambrian rocks, and near the contact
an escarpment is generally developed in the limestone,
which affords numerous sections.
SECTION OF THE LOWVILLE FORMATION.
At the Longford quarries on the west side of Lake
St. John, about 8 miles (12-9 km.) northeast of Orillia, a
good section is exposed of Lowville (Birdseye) limestone
with basal-series of shales and sandstone or arkose. The
eastern and northern sides of the lake are occupied by
Pre-Cambrian rocks, but along the western side a limestone
escarpment is developed, in the face of which a number of
quarries have been opened. The beds dip slightly to-
wards the southwest, and at the north end of the lake over-
lap the crystalline rocks. Near the contact the beds have
a steep dip and appear to be faulted.
The general section of the Lowville formation is as
follows —
1. Basal series of sandstones, shales, etc.—The
base of the series consists of a few feet of coarse, calcareous
sandstone or arkose, which rest unconformably on the
Pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks. These beds pass upward
into red and green shales with intercalated lenses or thin
beds of sandstone, and occasionally thin beds of fine-
grained, dove-coloured limestone. The thickness of the
series varies, and the beds are frequently absent on the
sides and tops of ridges or domes of the crystalline rocks,
where the limestones are seen to rest directly on the old
floor. The sandstone and shales are best developed in
basins between ridges of the crystalline rocks, where they
occasionally have a maximum thickness of about 40 feet
(12 m.). They are local in character and derivation, and
evidently represent the old soil covering of the Pre-Cam-
brian rocks somewhat sorted, rearranged and recemented,
and it seems probable that they represent the initial near-
shore deposit of the next succeeding formation.
35066—3
34
2. Lower Lowville (Beatricea beds).—The red and
green shales pass upward into impure magnesian limestones,
which on fresh fracture are greenish-grey in colour and
weather yellowish brown. They are characterized by
numbers of drusy cavities, occasional quartz grains and
crystals of pyrite or limonite, and are generally barren of
fossils. They are only a few feet in thickness and are
followed by 6 to Io feet (1.8 to 3 m ) of fossiliferous blue-
grey to dove-coloured limestone characterized by an
abundance of a species of Beatricea. These beds somewhat
resemble in physical character the typical fine-grained
‘“‘Birdseye’’ limestone, but are less compact in texture
and weather to a shaly mass. These beds contain a con-
siderable fauna, among which may be mentioned: Rajfin-
esquina minnesotensis, Zygospira recurvirostris, Cyrtodonta
huronensis, Lophospira bicincta, Isotelus gigas and Tetra-
dium halysitoides. They are overlain by 7 to Io feet
(2-1 to 3 m.) of unfossiliferous magnesian limestone very
similar to the beds which immediately underlie them,
3. Upper Lowville (Birdseye) limestone.—The
Beatricea beds are overlain by about 20 feet (6m.) of
fine-grained, even-bedded,:dove-coloured limestone, char-
acterized by such fossilsas Phytopsis tubulosum, Bathyurus
extans, Leperditia fabulites, and in the upper portion
by a great abundance of Tetradium cellulosum.
The Lowville limestone, which is sometimes included
in the Black River as a sub-formation, is well developed
in south central Ontario, and is remarkable for its constant
lithological and faunal character not only throughout this
district, but a; far as Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama
on the south.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
1. Goldthwait, J. W.....An instrumental Survey of the
Shore lines of the extinct Lakes
Algonquin and Nipissing in South-
western Ontario. Geol. Survey,
Can., Memoir No. Io.
2. Logan, Sir Wm. E...Geology of Canada: Report of
Progress of Canada. Geol. Survey
to 1863, pp. 983.
35
3. Murray, Alexander. .Can. Geol. Survey, Summary Re-
Aeespencer, |i. Wes: 2...
Sa baylor, FB
35066—35
port for 1852-3.
Deformation of the Algonquin
beach and birth of Lake Huron:
Am. Jour. Sci., 4th series, Vol. 41,
I89QI, pp. 12-21.
The limit of post-glacial sub-
mergence in the highland east of
Georgian bay.Am. Geologist, Vol.
14, 1894, pp. 272, 285.
37
EXCURSION C 5.
GEOLOGY OF SELECTED AREAS ON
LAKES ERIE AND HURON IN THE
PROVINCE OF ONTARIO.
BY
WILLIAM A. PARKS.
With Sections by C. R. Stauffer, A. F. Foerste, M. Y.
Williams and T. L. Walker.
CONTENTS.
Seolorna sae aes oe Roi ree toate aA ae
INMMNOCAted CUE s soho An une lous deste Se
Walcer@mbarioey nee eee ne a ete rote.
INiatoanauiia ll Seep pencen tens a thes ous ee ee Spam!
Geology of the region about Port Colborne. By
Gees Staticreece aise ae eee eee B
Ceneraludescriptione: «7.00. eye tee ea
Sectiousiofene Onondaga. as) ee ee
shireshlocaneaquartyacie. rine eee:
Canadian Portland Cement Company’s
GPSS Ze & ce noc tem amie a er ee ae
istion Onondacagiossils va set. se nee
TEAC MEO Chretien ae ee Pare i sl cluto geo te eat
Shore line phenomena and forests at Rondeau .
Onondacayoigreleesisilandi)] 5s a
Glaciationtor Releeislands 9-2 5..... 6. 5-
38
Monroe and Onondaga formations at Amherst-
DUT ce
Salt well, salt plants and soda plants at Windsor
Hamilton formations at Thedford............
Silurian-section ‘at Goderich) 901/23 ae
Weathering at Flowerpot island..............
Geology of Clay Cliffs, Cape ee i: Manitoulin
island. By A. F. Foerste.. os
Cincinnatian section: .c.55:...7 ote
Collingwood fermation=*..3...2-.4- 0s
Eden clays and limestones...............
Lorraine s1OnimatiOne. yn eee eee
Richniond formationss-.. 44.0. sae eee
Fossils from the Clay Cliffs............/.
Lowville—Pre-Cambrian contact on Granite island.
Mohawkian strata northeast of Manitoulin island.
By Ay Fe Foersteé: 22. eum hess03 sone
Glochéasland* = he eRe ae eee
Goatisland2 4s Gece ee ee 2 ee
Silurian of the Eastern Part of Manitoulin island.
By M.-Y. Willams 5205.3 .2) eee
Introduction: "2 524 hes ae: eee eee
Siltintan:.section.'. <2 ees on. eas ee
Fhe Killarney Passage s/s sae eee
The Pre-Cambrian of Parry island and vicinity.
By DL. L. Walker... 6023. eee
Palzozoic section at Collingwood.........5......-
Bibliography «i228. 20.4.4 oe eee ee
39
INTRODUCTION.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The portion of Southern Ontario which lies west of a
line from Georgian bay to Toronto is known as the Western
Peninsula. The whole of this region is embraced in the
coastal plain of Paleozoic age which was laid down on
the western flank of the continental Pre-Cambrian protaxis.
The area is divided into two physiographic units by a more
or less abrupt escarpment (Niagara cuesta), which extends
from Queenston on the Niagara river to Hamilton at the
head of Lake Ontario and thence into the Bruce peninsula
between Lake Huron and Georgian bay. East of this
escarpment lies the Paleozoic lowland of Eastern Ontario
which therefore extends only a short distance into the
Western Peninsula and appears as a narrow belt along its
eastern side. The western and much greater portion of
the peninsula constitutes an upland with an average
elevation above the eastern lowland of about 300 feet
(91.2 metres).
The southern part of the western upland is remarkably
flat as shown by the following elevations along the lines of
the chief railways:
Elevation at | Elevation Elevation
Niagara Falls.) at Summit. at Windsor.
|
]
Feet. | Met. | Feet. | Met. | Feet. | Met.
|
Michigan Central Ry.— | |
Niagara Falls to Wind-|
sor, 225-75 miles..... 585 | 177°8| 815 | 247-8) 580 | 176-3
(361-2 km.) | | |
Grand Trunk Railway— | |
Niagara Falls to Wind-. | |
sor, 229-35 miles....| 573 | 174:2| 1007 | 306-1) 579-4 176-1
(366-9 km.) |
A little farther to the north, the maximum elevation
on the line of the Grand Trunk railway from Toronto to
40
Sarnia is 1,248 feet (379.4 m.), while in the county of Grey
near Collingwood a maximum elevation of 1,706 feet
(518.6 m.) is reached in the Blue mountains.
A heavy mantle of drift covers almost the whole of
the area and, in places, attains a remarkable thickness.
Post-glacial accumulations in the form of stratified sands
and clays are widely distributed and the strand lines of
post-glacial lakes are marked by beaches of gravel and
sand. These glacial and post-glacial soils are of great
fertility and, aided by the southerly latitude, render the
Western Peninsula of Ontario one of the finest agricultural
sections of Canada.
Glacial striz with a general southwest trend are to be
seen wherever the rock is sufficiently hard to retain them
and the exposure to the weather has not been too long.
The rock basin of Lake Ontario, at its deepest point,
is 738 feet (224.4 m.) beneath the surface of the lake, and
Lake Huron reaches a maximum depth of 750 feet (228.0
m.). On the other hand, Lake Erie is nowhere more than
210 feet (64.0 m.) deep, and its average depth is very much
less. The deepest part of Lake Ontario is off its southern
shore: this lineal depression is thought to represent the
bed of a great pre-glacial river which entered the basin of
Lake Ontario from the west and drained a wide area in
that direction. The waters of the Lake Huron basin are
believed to have entered the Ontario valley by a great
river whose course was down the western side of Georgian
bay, across the Province of Ontario to a point a little east
of Toronto and thence southward to a junction with the
river in the Ontario basin. It would appear, therefore,
that in pre-glacial times, Lake Erie did not exist and that
Lakes Huron and Ontario were either absent or of much
restricted area.
The enormous accumulations of drift which choked the
above mentioned pre-glacial valleys are responsible, with ~
some later modifications, for the present distribution of
land and water in this area. Significant of the recent
origin of the present system of drainage, is the fact that the
water of streams rising 25 miles (40.0 km.) north of Toronto
follows a circuitous path of 700 miles (1126-5 km.) in order
to gain access to Lake Ontario. The thousands of islands
along the eastern side of Georgian bay likewise attest the
recent invasion of the waters of Lake Huron into the Pre-
Cambrian oldland of Central Ontario.
41
Grand Manitoulin island and a number of smaller
islands in the northern part of Lake Huron are formed of
the same series of Ordovician and Silurian rocks that
appear in the Western Peninsula. These islands must
therefore be included in a general sketch of the Palaozic
formations of the region.
The Palzeozoic—Pre-Cambrian contact extends across
the Province of Ontario from near Kingston to the head of
Georgian bay. Northward from this point it is hidden
under the waters of Lake Huron except for its occasional
appearance on some of the islands along the east side of
Georgian bay and on the islands between Manitoulin and
the north shore of Lake Huron.
GEOLOGY.
The formations exposed in this district are indicated in
the following table —
Genessee (Chemung.)
Devonian... .} Hamilton.
Onondaga.
Oriskany.
(Monroe.
Salina.
Guelph.
Silurian... ..{ Niagara.
| Clinton.
Medina.
Cataract.
Richmond.
Lorraine
Eden.
Witicar
Ordovician. . | Collingwood.
Trenton.
Black River.
| Lowville.
_ The brow of the Niagara cuesta is marked throughout
its whole extent by a heavy bedded dolomitic limestone—
he Lockport dolomite. The more or less precipitous face
42
of the escarpment affords many excellent exposures of the
formations beneath; in the Niagara gorge the section ex-
tends down to the Richmond, and in Manitoulin island to
the Collingwood. The lower Ordovician formations are
best seen on the small islands north of Manitoulin. The
western peninsula affords numerous exposures of the upper
Silurian formations and the different members of the
Devonian series, but none of these are to be seen in the
Manitoulin islands.
The following list indicates briefly the points at which
the various formations may be most conveniently studied:
Chemung... ..: 2.4... 3. -Kettle point:
Hamiltons.....22... ...bhedford:
Onondagas-« aaa. Port Colborne, Pelee
island.
Monroeisn Ji 25k ane Amherstburg.
Miagaravcste Mae ea an Niagara, Manitowan-
ing, Collingwood.
Medina and Clinton. ... Niagara.
Gataractike ete see Manitoulin island, Col-
lingwood, Niag-
alias
Lorraine and Richmond. Clay cliff, Manitoulin
island. Near Col-
lingwood.
Collingwood and Utica. .Craigleith.
“Prentonuce. eee Shore near Colling-
wood.
Lowville, Black River
and Trenton..... Islands north of Man-
itoulin.
The relationship of the Cataract, Medina and Clinton
formations may be studied to better advantage at Hamilton
and at the forks of the Credit. (See Excursions B 3 and B 4).
An opportunity to examine the Guelph exposures is
presented by Excursion A1I2.
The crystalline Pre-Cambrian rocks of the contin-
ental protaxis occupy the whole of the eastern shore of
Georgian bay and extend along the north shore of Lake
Huron. The subdivisions of the Pre-Cambrian recognized
within the area covered by the excursion are, in descending
order, as below :—
43
Huronian.
Laurentian.
Grenville.
Exposures of the Huronian are to be seen along the
north shore and on numerous islands westward from
the vicinity of Killarney. Bell has mapped the rocks of
this age in two series—a lower series, ‘‘sericite, chlorite,
hornblende, and arkose-schists, clay slates, greywackes,
quartzites bands and dolomites’’, and an upper series con-
sisting of quartzites.
The quartzites form prominent ridges with a general
east and west direction which constitute a striking physio-
graphic feature of this part of the north shore. Near
Killarney an altitude of 1385 feet (421 m.) is attained and
even greater heights are reached a short distance inland.
Both series of the Huronian are invaded by numerous
masses of diabase, diorite and granite which afford inter-
esting contact phenomena.
The gneisses and gneissoid granites of the Laurentian
form most of the shore of Georgian bay from Killarney to
the Palzozoic contact at its southern end. The continuity of
this series is interrupted, however, near Parry Sound by a
band of Grenville rocks with which some interesting erup-
tives are asssociated.
ANNOTATED GUIDE.
Lake Ontario—Alt. 244-99 ft.; 74-37 m. Lake
Ontar 10
is 193 miles (310-8 km.) long, 53 miles (85-3 km.) wide
and 7,450 square miles (19,310 sq. km.) in area. The mean
elevation is 244-99 feet (74-37m.) and the maximum
depth 738 feet (224-9 km.). The north shore of the lake,
in the vicinity of Toronto, consists largely of sand, but
bold cliffs of glacial material face the lake to the eastward
of the city at Scarborough Heights, where one of the
finest glacial sections in the world is presented. (See
Guide Book to Excursion B-2). Toronto island has been
formed by debris swept westward from these heights by a
current which sets along the north shore.
To the west of the city a few exposures of Lorraine
shales occur at the water level. The red shales of the
44
Richmond formation underlie the sands and gravels around
the western end of the lake and continue to the Niagara
river and beyond into the State of New York. Exposures
are not to be observed at the water level, but numerous
outcrops occur a short distance inland.
A few miles inland from the south shore of the lake
the Niagara cuesta rises to a height of about 350 feet (106-7
m.) above the water. The strip of land between the cuesta
and the lake, extending from the Niagara river to Hamilton
is the finest fruit-growing district in Canada. Grapes and
peaches of excellent quality are produced in abundance,
as well as many other kinds of fruit. Sixty-six varieties of
grapes are raised in the district.
Port Dalhousie—Alt. 250 ft.; 76 m. Port Dalhousie
was an im-
portant ship-building centre before the advent of railways
in Ontario. At the present time it is best known as the
northern portal of the Welland Canal, which connects
Lakes Erie and Ontario. Two canals have been con-
structed along this route by the Canadian Government.
The first canal, commonly referred to as the ‘‘old canal,”
has a depth of Ito feet 3 inches (3-07 m.); it was begun in
1824 and completed in 1833. Construction work on the
new canal began in 1872 and was completed in 1887. The
total length is 26-75 miles (43 km.), and the total rise, or
lockage, is 326-75 feet (99:6m.). There are 26 locks, each
of which is 270 feet (82-3 m.) long, 45 feet (13-7 m.) wide
and 14 feet (4-2 m.) deep.
St. Catharines—Alt. 346 ft.; 105-18m. Leaving
Port Dal-
housie, the electric railway crosses the fruit lands to St.
Catharines. The ascent is gradual over post-glacial accu-
mulations, which may be seen to the west of the harbour
at Port Dalhousie. About half-way, the line of the old
canal is crossed.
St. Catharines is noted for its paper and rubber
manufactories, but more particularly as the centre of
the fruit industry. A saline spring at St. Catharines
contains per gallon of water the following solids:
NBC) ecm nee ee 2200-9370 grains
Caley cee. oh ee REO“ EO®
MigGlos occ... alee A Ao eee OAS OS
IG ees AAR ie aces, 19-6833 grains
CaSO4 138-5538
WACO Rs ious 3-6470
1 5G GSS eee -0980
IM feel B22 Ie oe op i ea Ree -0496
Leaving St. Catharines, the railway begins the ascent
ot the Niagara cuesta. No exposures of the Richmond
or of the overlying Cataract sandstone, shale and limestone
are to be seen, but at Merritton (Alt. 411 feet, 125-2 m.)
the white and red mottled sandstone and shale of the
Medina formation crops out on the west side of the track.
Thorold—Alt. 595 ft.; 180-8 m. On approaching
Thorold, the old
canal may be seen to the west and the new canal to the
east. The dolomitic limestone of the Niagara (Lock-
port) formation is exposed above the new canal
and may be seen in the distance. From this point a large
amount of excellent building stone has been quarried.
The metallurgical works of the Coniagas Reduction Com-
pany in which a large amount of Cobalt ore is treated are
situated near Thorold.
Niagara Falls—Alt. 557 ft.; 169-3m. Between
Thorold and
Niarara Falls, the railway continues on the upland and,
in places, is close enough to the brow to afford an outlook
over the lowland to the north. The Pleistocene deposits
are of post-glacial character, and the district is better
adapted to general agriculture than to fruit raising. A
full account of the geology of Niagara Falls and the sur-
rounding country is given in the guide to Excursions
A4 and Br; to these the reader is referred.
From Thorold to Port Colborne 18-8 miles (29-1 km.)
the country is flat or slightly sloping to Lake Erie. About
15 miles (24-1 km.) from Thorold a peat bog covering six or
seven square miles is crossed. Beyond this is an exposure
of unfossilife ous shaly 'mestone, which probably belongs
to the Salina formation at the top of the Silurian. The
Oriskany sandstone at the base of the Devonian is not
exposed, but the Onondaga limestone is represented near
Humberstone and continues to the shore of Lake Erie.
Port Colborne—Alt. 583 ft., 177-74 m.
*QUIOGIOD WOg Moe jatar Jo Ye] SurMmoys Jeo] 1esNs Jo doz oy} WOIy MoIA
*$-S) NOISUNOXA
47
GEOLOGY OF THE REGION AROUND
PORT COLBORNE.
BY
CLINTON R. STAUFFER.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
The region about Port Colborne is a nearly level till
plain, which was modified by the marginal lakes of the
retreating continental glacier. Much of the land to north
and west is covered by a great peat bog, which has been
utilized toa limited extent in the manufacture of briquettes
for fuel. The higher land usually means bed-rock close to
the top of the ground, and it is not uncommon to see its
smoothed and striated surface in the gutters along the
highways and railroad tracks.
The Lake Erie beach, in the vicinity of Port Colborne,
is chiefly sand, and the mounds adjacent to it are of the
same material, which the wind has heaped into dunes. In
most cases the dunes have been rendered stationary by
the growth of vegetation, but to the west of the town
some of them are in a semi-active state of migration. The
points of land (see the accompanying map) projecting into
the lake, however, are almost invariably outcrops of
Onondaga limestone (Devonian). This rock rarely rises
more than a foot or two above the water level, but forms
an effective barrier against wave erosion, which elsewhere
has been so destructive.
Port Colborne lies within the Ontario gas belt, and
several of the wells may be seen in and about the town.
The gas is obtained from a stratum of white sandstone
within the Medina (Silurian), which is here about 450 feet
(137-2) m.) below the surface. The Medina, which is
chiefly red shales and sandstones, was seen outcropping
along the Niagara gorge, especially at the Whirlpool
Rapids and northward. It also outcrops along the escarp-
ment westward to Hamilton.
The general dip of the bed rock of this region is to
the south, but it is usually too variable in amount to
*QUING]OD WOg Jo som Ysnf auNp pues AreuOT}e}s B ‘JeO] TeBNS
‘)) NOISUNOXY
PSUR Eaten APE Lan v0 Edey ae es Dn Vie Cea rae aa tienes
Al2andC5.
Legend
Devonian
Onondaga limestone
Devonian |
trace of Oriskany sandstone
Silurian
+i. Hogans quarry
The Canadian Portland
+2. Cement Co's quarry
+3. Sugar Loafiasand dune
Geological Survey, Canada
Port Colborne
Miles
(Eee eee
‘ Kilometres
i ee 9.8.3.
mn Deets SER
49
record. Here and there fairly well developed anticlines
and synclines appear, while at other places the rock seems
to lie nearly flat.
The southern part of the Port Colborne region is
underlain by the Onondaga limestone, while the Cobleskill
dolomite (Silurian) and the Salina beds (Silurian) occur
immediately under the surface deposits to the north.
These latter form but meagre outcrops although they are
reached by the drill in boring for gas. [6] Great heaps of
the Silurian rocks, removed during the construction of
the Welland canal, may be seen to the northward from
the village of Humberstone. These formations include
dolomitic beds and shales of varying thicknesses.
The Onondaga was formerly called the Corniferous
limestone [5] because of the abundance of chert which it
contains. While chert is a striking characteristic of this
formation in Ontario near the eastern end of Lake Erie,
it is rare or absent in the same beds which outcrop along
the Detroit river and on the islands to the south. It is
a most variable formation in its physical appearance. At
the Port Colborne locality its upper portion is a dark
bluish to brownish black limestone containing a great
quantity of dark coloured chert. Just below this, and
sometimes separated by a very sharp line, is a highly
calcareous, semi-crystalline limestone filled with corals.
This rock grades into beds of less purity, as the lower
portion of the formation is approached, while the basal
part is a conglomerate [9] (shown only in the bottom of
the Welland canal) of Silurian pebbles mingled with sand
and calcareous mud. The Onondaga limestone is abund-
antly fossiliferous. Many of the fossils are silicified and
stand out in relief with most of the structures preserved
as the limestone weathers away under the thin coating of
drift. Corals are most plentiful and these are often so
numerous as to form true reefs. These coral beds may be
traced westward from Fort Erie to Villa Nova—a distance
of over 45 miles (72-44 km.) Many of the types described
by E. Billings and James Hall, were obtained in the vicinity
of Port Colborne.
SECTIONS OF THE ONONDAGA.
The Hogan Quarry. This quarry now abandoned
but under the control of the Canadian Portland Cement
35066—4
50
Company, is located in the northwestern part of Port
Colborne to the west of the interurban track (Port Col-
borne division of the Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto
Railway) at the crossing of the Grand Trunk switch. Very
little quarrying has been done, but quite a large surface
has been stripped and this furnishes an ample opportunity
for collecting. In general the rock is too hard for successful
collecting from the unweathered portions. Corals and
stromatoporoids are especially abundant and may be
seen studding the exposed surface, while several species of
gastropods and a half dozen brachiopods are not uncommon.
Section of the Hogan Quarry.
Thickness.
feet. _metres.
G:eSoilkandtanittss. sees cae ee eae I +305
5. Hard bluish limestone with rough black
chert. Where weathered the chert
stands out in relief. These beds are
quite fossiliferous and afford good
collecting. The top surface is well
glaciated at the west end of the quarry.
4. Dark bluish limestone containing an
abundance of - silicified compound
corals which afford good collecting in
the central portion of the quarry..... I-
3. Blue limestone with very little chert.
The lower half is filled with corals
chiefly of the small branching type.
Among these Cladopora labiosa (Bil-
lings) is abundant. In the cracks and
crevices of the eastern portion of the
quarry some small but very good spec-
imensimay be found:. 4.) eee B “O15
2. Blue limestone with some black chert and
often with shaly bedding planes.
Sometimes the bedding planes are very
rough and uneven, chiefly because of
the presence of large corals. Crinoid
stems of large size are conspicuous
but the heads are rare. These beds
are shown chiefly in the water hole... 5-83 1-78
_
on
$s
wn
OO
“458
On
5I
Thickness.
feet. metres.
1. Rather compact blue limestone, with
little or no chert, and fossils less
abundant. This portion extends to
the water level in the lowest hole..... 5 1-52
The fossils found in this quarry are given in the first
column on page 53.
The Canadian Portland Cement Company’s
Quarry. One mile westward from the last place discussed,
on the Grand Trunk railroad, is one of the Canadian
Portland Cement Company’s plants. In the manufacture
of their product they use the Onondaga limestone and a
post-glacial clay, both obtained nearby. This cement
plant has a capacity of 3,500 barrels per day—over one
and a quarter million barrels annually. The quarry is
located a short distance to the west of the buildings, on a
small low anticline, the axis of which runs a little to the
north of east. In the quarry proper the beds dip off
rather sharply to the north-northwest bringing in the
higher beds in that portion of the pit. The best co!lecting
is in the weathered portion of these upper beds, although
much depends on the most recent stripping. The more
massive beds of the interior and eastern side of the quarry,
however, are not lacking in interest, for it is in them that
the great masses of coral may be found. The surface of
the extreme eastern side is well glaciated.
Section of the Canadian Portland Cement Company's Quarry.
Thickness.
feet. metres.
GmSoileandidiiiiterss mn Ao eae, Gee Ane GS. 3 “O15
5. Dark bluish limestone containing much
black chert. Weathered | surfaces
rough and uneven. These layers are
sometimes separated from the under-
lying beds by several inches of shale.. 4-5 1-372
. Somewhat massive, sub-crystalline, blue
limestone with a small amount of
chert, and corals rather abundant.... 3:5 1-067
35066 —4%
Hiss
52
Thickness.
feet. metres.
3. An impure blue limestone with little or no
chert and a great many corals scat-
tered through it. Bedding planes
rough and irregular, often shaly and
containing much carbonaceous matter. 2-6 -714
2. A rather massive, sub-crystalline, bluish
gray limestone with partings of a
greenish shale. This shale is found
chiefly in the middle and lower part,
and is said by Mr. Pettingill, chief
chemist at the cement plant, to have
a composition analogous to that of
glauconite. The bedding of this mass
is often rough and irregu'ar. Corals
are abundant and well preserved, but
almost impossible to collect. At the
east side of the quarry these layers
come to the top and show several sets
of glacial striae on the exposed surface,
the most prominent of which run S. 40°
W._ These beds vary considerably in
thickness, but the full amount here
given is exposed along the east side
of the quarry. This massive portion
of the Onondaga is quite persistent
and may be traced eastward into
New York state..........053..4:4-. 18353 a5po4s
I. Massive grey | mestone, passing down-
wards into a slaty grey to brown
impure limestone. These beds are
streaked with semi-crystalline bands
in which fossils are more abundant.
They extend to the bottom of the
water hole at the west side of the
Quarry cues coe ee eee IO 3°05
The fossils found. at this locality are given in the
second column of the accompanying table.
The large mound, three-quarters o! a mile to the
south of the cement plant is Sugar Loaf—a sand dune
which is covered with vegetation and therefore stationary.
Other dunes a short distance to the west are in a partial
state of active migration.
ONONDAGA
CANADIAM PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY’S
oo)
FOSSILS FROM HOGAN’S QUARR
Y
QUARRY NEAR PORT COLBORNE.
AND THE
Hogan
Quarry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Canadian
Portland Ce-
ment Co’s
Quarry.
Sponges
Hindia fibrosa (Roemer)............
Hydrozoa ...
ty
io>)
4
Clathrodictyon cellulosum Nicholson | x
Stromatoporella granulatum Nichol- Xie Xeno x
SO La Geeee
Stromatoporella (?) tuberculata Nic-|
holson.....
Syringostroma nodulata Nicholson. ..| X X
Corals
Alveolites confertus Nicholson.......
Alveolites distans Nicholson.........
Alveolites ramulosus Nicholson......|
Aulopora cornuta Billings..........|
Aulopora tubiformis(?) Goldfuss.... .|
x KK XK
Bothrophyllum decorticatum Bullings XK aX
Bothrophyllum promissum Hall... . . |
Chonostegites clappi Edwards and)
Haime....
Cladopora cryptodens (Billings)..... | Xx
Cladopora imbricata Rominger...... |
Cladopora labiosa (Billings).........| Xe X
Cladopora pinguis (?) Rominger.....
Cladopora pulchra Rominger..
Cystiphyllum vesiculosum Goldfuss. . [Xo =X eX ux
Eridophyllum verneuilianum Edwards|
and Haime
Favosites basalticus Goldfuss........ Keo XX
Favosites canadensis Billings........ Kea Xa aX.
Fav osites cervicornis Edwards and
Favosites emmonsi Rominger........ Xenex
Favosites epidermatus Rominger....|
Favosites limitaris Rominger........
x *K KK
Pad
Favosites radiciformis Rominger..... Xx
Favosites turbinatus Billings........X xX
Favosites winchelli Rominger........ |
~*~
Pad
I
2
3 a OG
KK OK OK OK OK
*
xs x KK KK OK
Ke KK KK
o4
Canadian
Hogan Portland Ce-
Quarry. ment Co's
Quarry.
Heliophyllum corniculum (Lesueur).. Xx X
Heliophyllum exiguum Bullings...... x
Heliophyllum halli Edwards and
EL GUNG rear Sat iN ee cdi coe eine XBOX EX x|X X Xx
Michelinia convexa d’Orbigny....... x
Michelinia favositoidea Billings...... x xXuuex
Romingeria umbellifera (Ballings).... x
Snathophyllum arundinaccuin (2z7/l-
UNOS) eee aeaen soa eT aT x
Snathophyllum simcoense (Billings)..
Snathophyllum stramineum (Billings)
Syringopora hisingeri Billings...... XI OXGHEX X
Syringopora maclurei Billings.......
Syringopora nobilis Billings......... X X
Syringopora perelegans Bullings...... x
Zaphrentis gigantea Leseuur........ IK XE EXC OX Xt ae Xcemee
Zaphrentis prolifica Billings.........
Pad
~
~<
<<
<
x
x
x
x
x<
x<
x
>
x
~ XK
x
x «KK KK
Bryozoa
Coscinium striatum Hall and Simpson x
Fenestella parallela Hall............ x
Fenestellaspie a iicciauueranineteo tae Xie xXaex
Fistulipora subcava (Hall).......... X
Reteporidra perundata (Hall)....... x
Unitrypa pernodosa (Hall).......... Xx
Brachiopods
Amphigenia elongata Vanuxem...... x
Atrypa reticularis (Linne@us)........ Xx Xx =X Xx
Camarotoechia billingsi Hall........ Xx
Camarotoechia tethys (Billings)..... Xx
Centronella glansfagea Hall......... x
Chonetes mucronatus Hall.......... x x
Cyrtina hamiltonensis Hall......... x
Delthyris raricosta Conrad.......... x
Eunella linckleni Hall.............. X
Leptzna rhomboidalis (Wilckens)....
Meristella doris Hall...............
Meristella nasuta (Conrad).......... Xo exe OX x|x xX
Metaplasia disparilis (Hall)......... Xx X
Orthothetes pandora (Billings)...... X xix
Parazyga hirsuta Hall..............
Pentamerella arata (Conrad)........ x 3 X| X
Reticularia fimbriata (Conrad)......
x<
x KK KKK KK
a0)
Canadian
Hogan Portland
Quarry. Cement Co’s
Quarry.
i ee Se ay eG
Rhipidomella cleobis (?) Hall........
Rhipidomella livia (Billings)........ Xx
Rhipidomella vanuxemi Hall........| X
Schizophoria propinqua Hall........
Spirifer duodenarius (Hall)......... | x x x
Spinifer varicosus Hall.............. |
Stropheodonta demisssa (Conrad)...., x Xx
Stropheodonta hemispherica Hall....| x 4
Stropheodonta inequistriata (Conrad) | Xx X
Strophonella ampla Hall............ Xe x Xo KIX
Trematospira gibbosa (?) Hall.......
x KK KKK XK x
~x<
Pelecypods
Conocardium cuneus (Conrad) ....... x Xx
GOSURO DOG She cease ees ot ene
Diaphorostoma lineatum (Conrad)... XGEX XaueX: XEN Xx
Diaphorostoma turbinatum (Hall)... x x
Diaphorostoma turbinatum cochlea-|
(Nin: JEG Swear aco ceicle ote OB ae
Loxonema pexatum Hall...........
Platyceras carinatum Hall..........! x|
Platyceras conicum (?) Hall......... |
Platyceras erectum (Hall).......... XX x Xx
Platyceras rictum Hall............. x
Paltyceras thetis Hall.............. Xx
Strophostylus varians Hall.......... x
Turbonopsis shumardi (de Verneutl).. x
x x Kx
Crinoids
Megistocrinus:sprsacerec ae ten oner
Trilobites
ehacopsrenistatay Hall sass eee X
Phacops rana (Green).............. x |
Proetus rowi (Green)............... xX
56
ANNOTATED GUIDE.
Lake Erie—Alt.: 571-57 ft.;174-2m. Lake Erie is
239 miles (384-6 km.) long and 59 miles (95 km.) wide; it
covers an area of 10,000 square miles (25920 sq. km.); the
mean elevation is 571-57 feet (174-2 m.) and the maxi-
mum depth 210 feet (64 m.) Lake Erie is the youngest of
the great lakes, and owes its existence entirely to glacial
and post-glacial agencies.
The north shore of Lake Erie is low and sandy with
numerous bars and spits. Dunes form in many places,
and shifting sands cause much trouble in the harbours
and even to a considerable distance inland. There are
few rock exposures on the water line, but near Port Col-
borne and at the western end of the lake, the Onondaga
limestones are encountered a short distance inland.
Rondeau—At Rondeau the drifting sands have been
piled up in long ridges parallel to the shore
and now present a characteristic undulating contour.
Behind the series of bars lies Rondeau harbour, and west of
that an extensive peat bog which extends for several miles
w th a width of from a quarter to a half mile. In depth,
the peat varies from almost nothing to 30 feet (9-I m.) in
accord with the ridge-like bottom. Rondeau point, as well
as most of the points along the north shore, owes its exist-
ence to a current which sets eastward along the coast.
Rondeau Provincial park occupies the peninsula of
Point aux Pins and contains 1,950 acres (589 hectares)
of wooded land which is probably the best example of
the original forest to be found in the Western Peninsula.
The ridge-like arrangement of the sand is well shown
and is more pronounced on the lake side than on the
harbour side. The tops of the ridges are about 12 feet
(3:6 m.) above the water, while the depressions are about
three feet (-9 m ) above that level. Towards the west, the
elevation is so much less that the depressions graduaily
become marshes and finally disappear beneath the lake.
The soil is all fine, white, water-washed sand, and would
support little vegetation if any except for the excellent
sub-irrigation. Three distinct types of forest growth are
presented as below :—
1. White pine belt along the lake front.
a
2. Hardwood growth on the ridges.
3. Hardwood growth in the depressions.
The most important trees are the following :-—
On the ridges—
White pine, Pinus strobus, L.
Bur oak, Quercus macrocarpa, Michx.
Chestnut oak, Quercus prinus, L.
White oak, Quercus alba, L.
Hard maple, Acer saccarinum.
Beech, Fagus ferruginea, Ait.
Tulip tree, Lyriodendron tulipifera, L.
Basswood, Tilia americana, L.
In the depressions—
Red oak, Quercus rubra, L.
Black oak, Quercus coccinea tinctoria, Gray.
Scarlet oak, Quercus coccinea, Wang.
Swamp white oak, Quercus bicolor, Willd.
Black ash, Fraxinus sambucifolia, Lam.
White elm, Ulmus americana, L.
Silver maple, Acer dasycarpus, Ehrh.
Red maple, Acer rubrum, L.
Bitternut hickory, Carya amara, Nutt.
In addition to the above there occur in less abundance
black walnut, butternut, shellbark and mockernut hick-
ories, yel!ow birch, sycamore, red elm, white ash, black
cherry, white birch, aspen, large toothed aspen poplar,
balsam poplar, hop hornbeam, blue beech and sassafras.
m=
ee Lae
Sketch Map of Pelee Island.
oY)
Pelee Island—Thin and thick bedded dolomitic
limestones of the Onondaga formation
are exposed at many points on the island. Characteristic
fossils may be collected in abundance at most of the
Ridges of Onondaga limestone formed by glaciers and subsequently weathered.
Pelee island, Ontario.
outcrops. The more common species as occurring at a
quarry on the west side of the island and at one near the
north end are given below :—
60
West North
Quarry. | Quarry.
Rhizopoda—
Calcisphera robusta, Williamson............... x x
Hydrozoa—
Clathrodictyon laxum, Nicholson... Bits rote atc X x
Stromatoporella granulata, Nicholson. .
Stromatoporella tuberculata, Nicholson and Murie
Anthozoa—
Acervularia rugosa (E. and H.)...............
Cystiphyllum vesiculosum, Goldfuss............
Eridophyllum verneuilianum, F.and H.........
Pavosites emmons,-Romingeia. 2.91.25
Favosites pleurodictoides, Nicholson............
Favosites radiciformis, Rominger...............
Favosites turbinatus, Billings..................
Heliophyllum corniculum (Lesueur)............
Heliophyllum halli, E. and H..................
Syringopora hisingeri, Billings.................
Syringopora tabulata, E. and H...............
Zaphrentis gigantea, Leswueur..................
Zaphrentis prolifica, Billings...................
Bryozoa—
Coscinium striatum, Hall and Simpson.........
Cystodictya gilberti (Meek)................... Xx
FKenestella)parallelat Halls... ..090 seh ede alee x
Benestellais pian ara vay oe nies ace are ee x
Monotrypellatenuis, Hal) .2 2 ee ee x
Brachiopoda—
Atrypa reticularis (Linneus)
Camarotoechia billingsi, Hall..................
Camarotoechiacarolina,pHalle. s.r
Chonetes hemisphercus, Hall.................. Xx
Chonetesimucronatussiaal 1s. oe ee x
Cyrtina hamiltonensis, Hall................... Xx
Bunellaglinek|cenisee alla ne ee eee
Leptzna rhomboidalis (Wilckens)..............
INucleospira concinnawhalia.
x
~ KX
x KK x
mM KK KK KK KK KK OK
x
x
~*~ xX
61
| West North
| Quarry. | Quarry.
| |
Stropheodonta demissa (Conrad)...............) Xx x
Stropheodonta hemispherica, Hall..............| x x
Stropheodonta perplana, (Conrad).............. X x
Pelecypoda—
Aviculopecten princeps (Conrad)...............| x
Conocardium cuneus (Conrad)........... | x
akacy Clasgelliptica,w Gla reese ee e|| Xx x
Gastropoda— |
latyceradsicaninatum a ieeeenie ns Sanne