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Field CollectingMont Ste-Hilaire collecting?

26th Dec 2016 14:37 UTCJohannes Swarts

Holiday Greetings to all!

I recently noticed a couple of photos added to the Mont Ste-Hilaire page. Photos were taken earlier this year (2016).

Was/is MSH open to collecting again?

On another note, I've heard rumors that a new MSH book is in the works - can anyone confirm?

Thank you!

Hans

28th Dec 2016 23:24 UTCIan Nicastro

Earlier in 2016 I talked to someone who lived in the area and had been, and it sounded like collecting was still allowed for particular local clubs that had connections, but was closed to everyone else.

29th Dec 2016 07:12 UTCSean

Yes, you are allowed to collect there, but you must join a mineral club in order to go. If you do wanna go there, you'll have to join the French version of the Montreal Mineral Club. They are well known for going there but with limited amounts of people and with restricted rules for the location itself. Like the Jeffrey Mine, if you get a call from the club, you have either the choices to take the offer or refuse the offer. Needless to say, if you take the offer, then you now have permission to go. But remember, Mont St. Hilaire has restricted rules, you'll have to go to the spot(s) where they allow you to collect at.

29th Dec 2016 07:27 UTCAlfredo Petrov Manager

The corner of the quarry with the largest vugs and best material, was used as a dump for construction waste already about a decade ago, and so was buried, unfortunately.

3rd Jan 2017 14:42 UTCJohannes Swarts

Happy New Year to all!

Thanks for the feedback. I had heard about the limited access several years back. My understanding was that the quarry operators would let people in, but would then direct collectors to a pile or two of rock - no more wandering across the boulder fields.

Alfredo, I saw the results of the dumping - the southeast corner was completely inaccessible the last time I was in the quarry. This was in either 2007 or 2008. Such a shame - the things we used to pull out of there!

I think I'll pursue the club membership - some poor collecting at MSH is better than nothing!

Thanks again,

Hans

16th Jan 2017 00:43 UTCJohn Wilda (2)

I was one of the lucky Montreal (French) Club members invited to the trip to MSH this past fall. There was one fairly large area open. You MUST be a member of the club. Random selections are made and about 50 or so attend. Not a lot was found on the trip but at least we got to go in. I did find some broken Serandite, Rhodochrosite, Pectolite, etc. Nothing great but it is a start. Hopefully, one day the 5 trips/year collecting returns. One major problem is that crushing is done on site so not much sits there for collectors to work on. This is a serious case of working with the owners and NOT abusing privileges.

16th Jan 2017 01:36 UTCSean

May we please see some pictures of them John? I'm quite curious myself because I plan to join the French Montreal Mineral Club this year.

16th Jan 2017 11:36 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

"major problem is that crushing is done on site " All quarries crush on site so the problem is likely timing not the crushing. That may have been deliberate on management's part. It is less likely anyone is going to get injuried after a blast has been cleaned up, in other words crushed, rather than after a fresh blast.

19th Jan 2017 19:58 UTCLászló Horváth Manager

Reiner,

Just to clarify something about the crushing. The quarry has a fixed crushing plant (installed decades ago by the Poudrettes) that is operated by the quarry owners, and in recent years part of the quarry was leased to contractors who operate portable (or more precisely transportable) crushing plants. Around 2007-2008, we have seen up to two of these and the fixed plant operating simultaneously. The contractors operated independently from the quarry owners and did their own blasting and crushing, and paid the owners for the tonnage produced. After a fresh blast, they parked all the machinery around the blast pile with a shovel parked on top of the pile to feed the crushers. These contractors did not want any collectors even near the pile and their machinery for safety reasons. Even with two separate operations the quarry could be an extremely busy place. This was already the situation in the last 2-3 years of the Poudrette ownership. The last time I was in the quarry in 2012, there was only one of these contractors, but I do not know what the current situation is.

19th Jan 2017 21:09 UTCReiner Mielke Expert

Sounds like an interesting situation with some potential. If these are small contractors maybe someone could work out a deal with one of them, like get 100 people together each paying $50 per person to collect for 8 hours . With large companies there would be no hope of such a deal, but smaller ones are usually more hungry.

19th Jan 2017 21:16 UTCWayne Corwin

Reiner

Also they get alot of precrushed rock with all the "Crap" removed (tu)

20th Jan 2017 18:51 UTCLászló Horváth Manager

Reiner,

The owner is still in charge of access, that part is not contracted out.

May I also point out that our favorite saint, Hilaire, was male, hence it is St-Hilaire. Ste- in the title of the thred is correctly reserved for female saints.

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