From its earliest days, the Geological Survey of Canada has sought to increase public awareness of Canada’s geology and resources. This effort has taken many forms, one of which was the distribution of rock and mineral specimens at a nominal cost to schools, embassies, and to individual collectors.
The first of these sets, comprising 277 specimens from localities across Canada, was provided to the school trustees of Elora, Ontario, in 1875. This was so well received that 39 sets were produced over the following two years. The Survey continued to produce rock and mineral sets for more than 120 years and, at its peak, more than 10,000 were distributed annually.
The program was discontinued in 1996 as a result of budget reductions, closure of quarry sources of bulk material, and the fact that similar sets were by then available from private sector suppliers.
Category: Rocks, Fossils, Minerals and Meteorites
Decade: 1870s
