Assistance with adding Quebec localities/minerals.

I have 3 Quebec localities I would like to get added - or advise if they are already there, somewhere that I can't find them. If someone could help with this. Big thank you to the Managers.

Gibb Lake, Fort Coulonge, Outaouais – scapolite, mica group
Sandy Creek (no further info)– fluorapatite, calcite
Saint-Philippe Co, Saint-Philippe de la Prairie, Québec, Canada - calcite

tanks!
s~

Hi Stephanie,

Two of the occurrences you name are already listed in Mindat.

Sandy Creek : [www.mindat.org]

Saint-Philippe : [www.mindat.org]

But the Gibb Lake occurrence is not.

If it were, it should be listed under the following “architecture” (not under Fort Coulonge):

Lac Nilgaut (*) – Pontiac MRC – Outaouais

(*) : A non-organized territory, or TNO, as per the Quebec Province's nomenclature.

Stephanie, any time you need to find a location in La Belle Province, the best reference is the website of the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which gives the official denomination of the place you are looking for.. Any uncertain entry should first be checked using the CTQ.

See : [www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca]

Type the name of the location in the Search Filed in the middle of the page, and hit return. A list in alphabetical order will appear...

A little trick, though : if you write Gibb Lake, it will be found further down the list, while if you translate it to Lac Gibb to conduct the search, it will be the first entry (duhhh)... Don't ask me why, I have no explanation ! :)

It's very practical, as you also get info on the place. If you click on the name of the location (in pale blue), it will open a new page, with a map, and a full description (often with historical details, but Gibb Lake has no history !).

Enjoy.

Jean-Yves

merci, merci, Jean-Yves,

I don't know how I missed the Sandy Creek one, when I did the search I came up with no entries, I was probably searching the wrong field!
In any case, there are no minerals listed under the locality and would need to add them.

For Saint-Phillipe I was unsure because the quarry name was different, needed to confirm if that was the correct location.

For Lake Gibb I did also search Lac Gibb on mindat but was not there, so yes that is good to know when searching the Commission de toponymie du Québec. On mindat we should list it as a sub locale of Lac Nigault so we can find it, with Fort Coulonge, as this is what is on my label from Darryl McFarland, the fellow who owned the mining rights at the time.

Jean-Yves, I was wondering if you could help me with a location puzzle regarding some pyrite that I have labelled from Sherbrooke. I purchased it from a dealer from Quebec who said he self collected it but unfortunately he did not have a card and I did not get his name, although I think he was a friend that came along with Tony Gordian to the Toronto show that year, about 3 years ago. My question is that it does not look like anything I have seen from Sherbrooke, as the ones I have seen are cubes in grey/black schist type matrix. I don't want to doubt him as he verballly told me that was where it was from, and that was how it was labelled, but I have been unable to find anything similar. I purchased 4 pieces and now wish I had bought more as it is very pretty and he had a whole flat of it. The matrix is reddish with white patches and the pyrite is iridescent. Photos below of 2 of the pieces. I hear that the Sherbrooke location is now a parking lot. Any help would be appreciated. I just want to be sure of the location before I upload them. If you are unable to help I will post a new thread in identity help.

Thank you again for any and all assistance.
stephanie

Stephanie,
There are a number of localities for pyrite in the Sherbrooke area, mostly roadcuts. The best known was a deep roadcut on Auroroute 55 very close to the last exit to Sherbrooke if I recall correctly. Most specimens were collected just after the completion of the exit. I doubt that one can distinguish specimens from the area because they were very similar. The roadcuts have weathered since the completion of the road in the 1980s but I am sure there is more pyrites there.
Laszlo

Stephanie,

I should have taken a closer look at your photos, please disregard my earlier comments. I missed the reddish matrix with white veins. I believe these came from Car. Bel Horizon on the outskirts of Sherbrooke. Jean-Yves will probably agree because we collected similar specimens there together.
Laszlo

Hi Laszlo,

Thank you for your information. My biggest concern about my pieces is that the matrix is not the same as the ones I have seen. It is not schist but appears to be something completely different, reddish quartzite or metamorphed limestone? So I am unsure if there is more than one formation in that area that could account for this.

appreciate the input,
regards,
stephanie

Hi again Stephanie, and Laszlo,

I know exactly where the specimens come from, as I have a few of these right in front of me.

I just pulled them out of an egg carton which is labelled : Sintra Quarry, Sherbrooke, October 2007.

It is listed under [www.mindat.org]

I am not sure about the name Bel Horizon name, but I deduct it must have changed to Sintra...

And, yes, Laszlo is right : we were collecting at the quarry in October 2007, hoping to find rutile, and other goodies.

During our visit, while driving down between two levels, we found a pile of very colourful, pyrite-imbedded rocks dumped by the side of the road.

We collected a few of these as they were simply... very aesthetic !

The rock matrix varied from pale lilac to mauve, and to brownish-red, with some massive white quartz veinlets. Brilliant pyrite was present, mostly as small cubes, but also massive.

Thank you both so much! That is great news! I was thinking about contacting Tony to see if he could remember which friend he had along and perhaps contact him, but seems the mystery is solved!

Jean-Yves, you mention that it was dumped at the side of the road, would you know if it was material dumped from the quarry or "imported" from somewhere else? Just curious about the matrix, and if it is distinct for that quarry.

Pyrite will also need to be added to the mineral list, and perhaps some notation regarding your personal collection observations.

very grateful for your observations!
regards,
stephanie

Re-re-hi, Stephanie,


Considering the volume of rock dumped on the side of the road, this definitely is a quarry thing !

A few blocks were meter-sized, and I somehow doubt it would be... leftovers of a collector !

The rock being quarried would mostly be basalt and felsic tuff, according to the MRNF (Québec's Dept. of Natural Resources)...

They also mention chloritic and sericitic schists, quartz veins, and veinlets of epidote...

The very close (2 km NNE) DJL Quarry has a similar description, and pyrite cubes are mentioned.

JY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2012 12:48AM by Jean-Yves LAMOUREUX.

Excellent information. Thank you again Jean-Yves, I am most grateful that you clarifyied all my questions and also for confirming this Sherbrooke location. I am very happy to know the original info was indeed correct.

Now perhaps you could help me with a garnet/kyanite/biotite location from Parry Sound (?), Ontario? Just kidding.

Hope to get the photos uploaded soon.

cheers,
stephanie

Jean-Yves,

The Bel Horizon quarry (in 2007) is the DJL quarry we visited in 2007. The Sintra Q. is the former Hébert Q. just to the south of Bel Horizon. Look up the satellite image, they are ~1 km from each other.
Laszlo

[www.mindat.org]

FINALLY got around to building Lac Gibb into the database - thanks Jean Yves for your excellent guidance!