by the Metcalfe Geoheritage Park Committee
The latest addition at Canada’s first municipal geoheritage park, in Almonte, is a large interpretive site sign. Installed on June 14, it includes a bedrock geological map of the region, courtesy of the Geological Survey of Canada. The sign is a colorful and informative introduction to the unique geological history of our area.
On hand for the sign installation were Metcalfe Geoheritage Park Committee members Neil Carleton and Scott Newton. Photo courtesy of Richard Knobbs, Fontasy Sign & Display Inc.
The specimens on display at the Park tell a story of towering mountains, colliding continents, changing ocean depths, and a landscape locked in ice. They include sedimentary rocks of Ordovician age, about 500 to 450 million years ago, along with igneous and metamorphic rocks of Precambrian age, from about 2.5 billion to about 1 billion years old. One section of the Park is set aside for the temporary display of guest rocks. The stories of the first two guests are from the oldest known ice age on Earth, and an earlier time when there was little or no oxygen in the planet’s atmosphere and oceans.
A colour brochure will be available on site later in the year as a guide to the 22 permanent display specimens. A guest rock brochure is also being prepared.
In progress is a web page for Metcalfe Geoheritage Park that will be hosted by Mississippi Mills on its municipal site of outdoor venues to explore. Watch for a notice on the Millstone News when the website is operational. Postings will include:
- glossary of geological words used on the site sign and brochures;
- listing of geological maps for the area;
- links to other geosites and organizations;
- reading suggestions;
- history of Metcalfe Geoheritage Park;
- contact us.
Metcalfe Geoheritage Park was made possible by the support of the Mississippi River Power Corp., the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, and the Canadian Geological Foundation. An official opening event is being planned for September. Details will be posted on the Millstone News.
