Rockhounds in Ontario and Canada

A rockhound is an amateur geologist or collector of rocks, minerals and gemstones. It’s not always about the value or selling them. Not for me. I like the history of rocks. Such ancient things, far older than even the oldest of trees. Eroded by time and the elements (mostly water) found on and under land, sea and space, small enough to fit into a pocket or far too massive to consider moving at all. How can anyone not find even the most common rock a bit interesting.

There is some difference between being an ordinary rock collector and someone who actually knows whether the rock they just picked up (because it looks interesting) is a gem, mineral, or just another rock. I’m the ordinary rock type of beachcomber, streetcomber, forestcomber, (even though only one of those is a considered a real word at this time).

I like rocks, sometimes I carry one home in my pocket. It’s a casual hobby. But, I couldn’t say for sure whether the rocks I keep are anything but an interesting looking rock. I did study geology in high school, so I know (remember) a little about how rocks are formed.

Ontario (I live in Ontario) with links found for the other Canadian provinces afterwards.

Ottawa Lapsmith and Mineral Club
The Niagara Peninsula Geological Society – St Catharines
Barrie Gem and Mineral Club (Currently inactive).
The Gem and Mineral Club of Scarborough – Toronto

The British Columbia Lapidary Society
Victoria Lapidary and Mineral Society
Ripple Rock and Gem Mineral Club – Campbell River
Port Moody Rock and Gem Club

Alberta Federation of Rock Clubs
Southern Alberta Rockhounds Association
Edmonton Tumblewood Lapidary Club
Calgary Rock and Lapidary Club

Prairie Rock and Gem Society – Regina, Saskatchewan

Montreal Gem and Mineral Club Quebec

The Central Canadian Federation of Mineralogical Societies
Mineralogical Association of Canada
Gem and Mineral Federation of Canada

Do you know all of these, what they are or even more about each of them? They are all connected to rocks in some way. Not on this list was rock piling or stacking. I’ve seen people turn them into bridges which continue to stand without anything but friction and gravity keeping them together. Also, Inukshuks, traditionally used for navigation and communication in northern Canada.

lapidary
tumbling
carving
sculpture
architecture
fossils
geology
paleontology
prospecting

List from: Virtual Museum of the History of Mineralogy

If you Visit Thunder Bay…

I found this while poking around on a real estate site. The bank was built in 1911. The location is Victoria Avenue East, Thunder Bay. It burned down in 2007, just the front of it left standing. They are selling it, hoping someone will build it onto something new. But, the chances don’t look so good for that. Mainly, that entire area is old and deserted looking. In 1911 it must have been beautiful with architecture and bustling with people. Now, its all neglected and forgotten looking. Not likely someone will put in the money for a burned out bank in a forgotten area of a city in northern Ontario. But, it has its history.

This is the description from the real estate sales listing:

Own a piece of history! The old site of the CIBC bank, burnt down in 2007, and Designed by architect V.D. Horsbugh, the building, complete with its four massive terra cotta columns using clay imported from England, officially opened its doors on July 11, 1911. The terra cotta façade and four giant columns made it a landmark in the Victoriaville area and still stand today. The bank was constructed in 1910-11, boasts a Classical Revival style of architecture, with four massive columns framing a terra cotta façade. The façade would make a perfect front for a new office building – or a smaller building constructed further back with the façade as a fencing. Great lot in the heart of the southside business district – close to the new courthouse and city hall!

A view from the back of the building. You can see there just isn’t anything left. A little on the sides, probably helping to hold the front face upright.

Canadian Vintage Postcards

I have been a history fan since the day I first noticed old buildings with the carved and sculpted stonework, the majestic columns and the extras, like gargoyles. My Mother loves antiques. We still have some of the massive pieces of furniture which she told me were called Canadiana, over 100 years old made from trees far older than that even. The wood has become soft to the touch and the colour is lighter than the finished wooden furniture.

Anyway, nothing lasts forever. Isn’t that the sad part of history, architecture and antiques?

This is why I have always enjoyed finding vintage and antique postcards of old Canadian cities, towns and places I have been in the current time. In the old postcards you can see some of what once was and how a building (still standing) looked when it was new. The street views are my favourites. Horses still in the streets, sometimes sharing it with vehicles and sometimes, just horses and buggies. People along the sidewalks, some close enough to see a pattern in their clothes and the trimmings on their hats. Those were real, living people. Not a design someone created to add features to an illustration.

What do you think about when you see an old postcard? Travels? History? Collectibles and antiques? Maybe you see them for the art they are too?

Found Amazing Toronto Map in an Etsy Shop

I found this map for sale in an Etsy shop, civicatlas. With shipping, it would cost over $50 to have a print copy. Sure, it would be a nice size but more than I can spend. If you have the resources I recommend getting it for any Toronto history explorers. As you can see, there are excellent images of old architecture, likely gone or very different looking now.

To see more of it myself, I searched online and found it Historical Maps of Toronto, with a link to the source for the full map at the University of Toronto. Here are screenshots, to give you a preview. I would like to have this covering an entire wall of my house. But, I will settle for keeping it as wallpaper for my desktop computer. Meanwhile, I did download the full file and I can see what it would cost to get it printed. Possibly a local business where the photographer reprints and fixes old photographs, might be just the place.

Killing Art for Politics

Demolishing art (and architecture) bothers me. The history does not go away, but the art does. Losing art and architecture due to changing politics is not a good thing.

How will people in the future understand the past if it is all whitewashed?

In a letter to the Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers, the signatories advocate for the removal of monuments to Christopher Columbus, J. Marion Sims, and Teddy Roosevelt.

Source: Over 120 Prominent Artists and Scholars Call on NYC to Take Down Racist Monuments

Killing Art for Politics

Demolishing art (and architecture) bothers me. The history does not go away, but the art does. Losing art and architecture due to changing politics is not a good thing. How will people in the future understand the past if it is all whitewashed?

In a letter to the Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers, the signatories advocate for the removal of monuments to Christopher Columbus, J. Marion Sims, and Teddy Roosevelt.

Source: Over 120 Prominent Artists and Scholars Call on NYC to Take Down Racist Monuments