Preparing for Another Cordillera Crossing: 1972 Field Excursion C-03 at Their Calgary, Alberta, Base Camp
2022 Anniversaries in the History of Canadian Science and Technology: The Excursions of the 1972 Montréal International Geological Congress (IGC)
First posted Tuesday, August 30, 2022 / Yom shlishi, 3 Elul, 5782. Updated August 31, 2022.
By David Orenstein, Emeritus, Danforth CTI
david.orenstein@alumni.utoronto.ca
On Wednesday, August 30, 1972, exactly fifty years ago, the members Field Excursion C-03 of the 1972 Montréal International Geological Congress (IGC) passed a relaxing evening at their Calgary, Alberta, hotel in preparation for Day 1 of their 14 day-long-excursion,
The IGC Congress Section 3 Tectonics sessions in Montréal had just finished the previous day, Tuesday, August 29, at 2:00pm, so the excursionists had to catch a quick flight out of town. Possibly one of the many reduced rate fights that the Congress had arranged.
They were to be based in the world-famous oil town of Calgary, Alberta, from whence they would be on the road for two weeks, before ending their cross-Cordillera trek in Victoria, British Columbia.
There were 30 excursionists about to see the Rocky, Purcell, Selkirk, Cascade, Coast and Vancouver Island Mountains over the course of half a month. That’s twice as many as the 15 who had followed the same itinerary in Excursion A-03, from Saturday, August 5, to Saturday, August 19, pre-Congress.
There were many Canadian geological experts involved with both preparing and leading this expedition. So, much like Homer’s “Catalogue of Ships”, in his epic poem, The Iliad, here’s a “Catalogue of Canadian Cordillera Connoisseurs”:
Excursion C-03 “was conceived by J.W. Monger and V.A Preto [and was] under their direction throughout.” I met Monger virtually a couple of years ago at the online meetings of the Canadian Tectonics Group (CTG), a section of the Geological Association of Canada (GAC). He and Preto formed a federal-provincial partnership: the former from the Vancouver office of the Geological Service of Canada (GSC), the latter with the British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources (BCDMPR).
Also with the B.C. Department, were K.S. Crabtree and J.L. Armitage, who drafted the many maps and diagrams in the 90-page excursion booklet and in the map pocket. Also contributing their expertise on the various sections of the route were:
- L. Gordy, Shell Canada.
- J. Crabb, Crowsnest Industries.
- B. Leech, Geological Survey of Canada.
- C. Morris, Cominco.
- T. Fyles, British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources.
- N. Church, British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources.
- A. Jetetzky, Geological Survey of Canada.
- C. McTaggart, University of British Columbia.
The next day Excursion C-03 would head south from Calgary, through the Foothills of the Rocky Mountains, to the site of the 1903 Frank Slide.
But that’s another story!
Bibliography
J.W.H. Monger and V.A Preto with several others (1972), Field Excursion A03 – C03: Geology of the Southern Canadian Cordillera, Guidebook., 24th IGC Ottawa, (iv) + 87 pp. incl. 5 pp. ref.
+ 6 foldout maps and cross-sections + 1 separate map sheet.
- G. Wheeler et al (1972), Field Excursion X01 -A01: Structural Style of the Southern Canadian Cordillera, Guidebook., 24th IGC Ottawa, 118 pp. incl. 4 pp. ref. + 3 separate map sheets
Links
CSTHA Blog Posts for the 1972 Montréal IGC Field Excursions:
Commencement of Excursion AX-01, July 22, 2022.
Survey of 1972 Montréal IGC Field Excursions, July 1, 2022
https://cstha-ahstc.ca/2022/07/01/happy-canada-day-joyeux-fete-du-canada-2022/
1972 IGC Congress Circulars, incl. Excursion Announcements, June 24, 2022.
https://cstha-ahstc.ca/2022/06/24/the-3-circulars-of-the-1972-igc-in-montreal/
Other Links
Calgary Sightseeing.
Calgary CPR Railway Hotel: The Palliser.
GSC Pacific Division.
B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, formerly
British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources.
GAC.
https://gac.ca/about/who-we-are/
CTG.