Ontario Geological Survey Geoscience Programs Update

Ontario Geological Survey Geoscience Programs Update

The presentation will describe the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS) geoscience program and explain how geoscience projects are selected and implemented; highlight some recent OGS activities and accomplishments across the province; and describe future geoscience activities as part of the OGS 5-year project plan.

The OGS was founded in 1891 and is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2016.   The OGS is based in Sudbury and in 8 district offices across the province and is a Branch of the Mines & Minerals Division of the Ministry of Northern Development & Mines.  The OGS is responsible for documenting and publishing data about Ontario’s geology and has published nearly 14,000 geoscience products including over 10,000 geoscience maps.

The OGS conducts field-based investigations to define and understand geological processes and Earth resources to inform policy development and decisions related to: a) economic development of minerals and metals, energy, groundwater and aggregate; b) land-use planning; c) the environment; d) natural hazards; e) public health and safety; f) infrastructure; and g) mitigating the impact of climate change.  OGS collaborates with other organizations to create a robust, modern and accurate provincial geoscience database. The OGS provides public access to these data as the steward of Ontario’s public geoscience data and information.

OGS activities are grouped around 3 core functions delivered by 3 business units: 1) Earth Resources & Geoscience Mapping Section = geoscience mapping; 2) Geoservices Section = geoservices based on analyses of inorganic materials; cartographic, editorial and publication services; a library and archives; and 3) Resident Geologist Program = local area expertise that includes inventorying, assessing and marketing Ontario’s Earth resource potential.

Speaker

Jack Parker, Acting Director, Ontario Geological Survey Branch

Jack started his career in geology in 1977 when he was hired as a junior field assistant with the OGS.  After that summer he was hooked on rocks and worked for various junior mining companies during the summers while completing his BSc at Lakehead University.  He was a project geologist with a uranium exploration company based in Saskatoon in the early 1980s and he worked on gold properties near Hemlo.  In 1984 he began working as a Mineral Commodities Geologist for the OGS in the Resident Geologist Office in Kenora and moved to the Red Lake Resident Geologist Office in 1989.  During the early 1990s he wrote a Prospecting Manual that is still used today to teach prospecting courses across Ontario.  In 1993 he relocated to Sudbury to work as a Metallogenic and Precambrian geologist with the OGS.  Most of Jack’s work has been in Northwestern Ontario and the Far North of Ontario.  Jack became a Manager with the OGS in 2001.  Jack has also served as Councillor for Northeastern Ontario in the Elected Council of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO) from 2003 to 2007 and participated on several APGO committees.  He has practiced geoscience continuously for 36 years and is currently Acting Director of the OGS with responsibility for strategic direction and leadership of the OGS and delivery of scientific and technical geoscience information in Ontario.