Canadian Rockhound: Summer/Fall 2000 Editorial

In this Issue:

Feature

The Jades

Mineral Collecting

Spinels

Supporters:

Canadian Geological Foundation

The Canadian Rockhound gratefully acknowledges the Canadian Geological Foundation for their support.

Editorial
By Dirk Schmid

Welcome to another great issue of the Canadian Rockhound magazine! This issue celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first Canadian Rockhound issue published in 1960 by the Lapidary Rock & Mineral Society of British Columbia. I am sure the original magazine staff never imagined the Canadian Rockhound would one day exist in electronic form and be made available to millions around the world on a global computer network called the internet! This issue is especially dedicated to the society and the original staff.

Since the last issue, a number of important things have happened. The Canadian Geological Foundation awarded the Canadian Rockhound a grant in June. This grant was used to purchase new equipment to properly maintain, expand and improve the magazine, and to facilitate in the production of future issues. The Canadian Rockhound is very grateful to the foundation for their generous support.

In May, the National Library of Canada officially archived the website. Canadians can now access the Canadian Rockhound's new mirror site through the NLC website. Updates will be provided to the NLC on a regularly scheduled basis using the new equipment purchased through the CGF grant. In addition, the Canadian Rockhound will now be able to provide schools and organizations with educational CD-ROM versions of the website.

The popularity of the Canadian Rockhound magazine is evident by the increased traffic to the site. Many Canadian schools and universities are visiting the magazine online. Collectors and beginners find the magazine an invaluable resource. With over 80 articles available online, the Canadian Rockhound is becoming a leading earth science e-zine on the internet. The Junior Rockhound is one of the most visited sections of the magazine, attracting many beginners, teachers and children. The Canadian Rockhound is also listed on Canada's SchoolNet website.

I hope you will enjoy this issue. Featured this time is jade, with a focus on the jade localities in British Columbia and the Yukon. Marilyn Fraser assisted in editing and updating the jade articles for this feature. Other articles featured in this issue report on recently discovered rare mineral occurrences. For those seeking new lapidary material, Dutes Dutheil from British Columbia reports on scenic stone. Shawn Allaire reports on the abandoned Caland Mine near Atikokan, which has undergone a process naturalization.

As always, I welcome your comments, feedback and contributions. Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

Dirk Schmid, Editor

Acknowledgements:

I wish to thank all authors who contributed material for this issue. I am especially grateful to Marilyn Fraser for her articles on jade and for her valuable assistance. Much work went into preparing the feature on jade. A big thanks goes to Doug Miller for supplying me with the photographs of botryoidal jade. Malcolm Back of the Royal Ontario Museum is also thanked for his help in identifying the drusy quartz specimen found by Dutes Dutheil.