Canadian Rockhound: Rockhounding at Caland Lake

It's 10:00 am on Sunday morning. I am preparing for my first ever rockhounding expedition with Ray Bernatchez and a group of rockhounds mostly from the Toronto area. We are going to the Caland pit, one pit of the three in the abandoned Steep Rock Iron Mines mine site. The mine site was closed twenty years ago and in the past two decades it has undergone a minor miracle of naturalization. There is even a commercial fish farm in the lake in the Caland pit.

Ray Bernatchez was the geologist for Steep Rock when it was operational. He is a consultant now, and a prospector, and an educator. He graciously agreed to take Kathy Harasyn and myself with the group today. Kathy has been working diligently on a website about the history of Steep Rock Iron Mines (SRIM).

And me? Why am I going? I began a new job two months ago with the Atikokan Mining Attraction, and I wanted a first-hand look at the Caland pit. What better opportunity than with a group of people who, like Ray, have a passion for the wonders that can be found in the ground, with a little hard work. One of my jobs at the Mining Attraction is to raise awareness of the potential of the abandoned mine site. And rockhounding is certainly one of the primary potentials. Ray was taking us to the Caland site today and (if I survived today intact), I hoped to accompany the group to the Steep Rock site on Monday. Ray said that the rockhounding at the Caland site was good, but that Steep Rock was much better. Ray takes groups out on a special tour basis.

Group
Group photo as we started out. Ray Bernatchez is
third from the right.

Was I apprehensive? You bet. Especially since one of Ray's questions was "Are you okay with heights?" And I'm not, never have been. What had I let myself in for?

I packed food, frozen water bottles, heavy gloves, sunscreen, my new digital camera (a new toy to play with), an extra t-shirt, binoculars and toilet paper (just in case). Ray was providing the appropriate equipment. A house hammer is not appropriate, I quickly learned.

Others in the group, more experienced, brought with them safety glasses, picks, tempered steel hammers, magnifying glasses, sledgehammers, and lots of newspaper for wrapping specimens.

The group was the Brampton Rock and Mineral Club with invited guests from Toronto's Walker Mineralogical Club, and an individual from Winnipeg, Manitoba (see above photo). Court Saunders, the President of the Brampton club spent some time familiarizing me with the proper equipment. This was the second last stop on a ten-day trip that started in Sudbury, and would be winding up with an underground tour of the Williams Mine at Hemlo.

First part of trip
First boatload to Benjie's Point.

First stop
First collecting spot.

The day was bright and sunny – an ideal day according to Philip Walford, a geologist. While the others scaled an intimidating slope, I observed Philip work with a large rock with seams of manganite in it. I learned that this mineral is relatively rare in other areas, but quite plentiful here. Philip acutely observed that the very area we were standing on would likely be under water in a few years making it all that much more exciting to be there today. He also commented on the incredible rockhounding potential of the mine site. And made the very good point that people on rockhounding expeditions spend more in the community than most hunters or fishermen. Rockhounds tend to stay in hotels and eat their meals in restaurants, unlike hunters or fishermen.

It should be added that large, well-crystallized manganite mineral specimens were collected from this locality in the past. Museum quality specimens can be seen at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa. The aesthetic and intrinsic beauty of the fine manganite specimens from this locality are prized by many serious collectors around the world. -- Editor

Phil Walford
Philip Walford, a collector from Winnipeg,
holds a manganite specimen.

Ray Bernatchez, our fearless leader
Our fearless leader, Ray Bernatchez.

After about two and a half hours, we got in the boat, with significantly heavier packs, and went to the second spot. It was at this point that Kathy and I returned home. I was sun burnt, tired, but very happy to have been included in the outing. I had begun my introduction to the rockhounding subculture. It was a bunch of really great people, all very willing to share their knowledge and their passion.

Big hill
Caland Lake has some interesting scenery.

The scenery was magnificent. I feel very strongly that the miracle of the naturalization of the Steep Rock mine site should be more widely known. To that end, I created the Steep Rock Iron Mines Naturalization website. The photographs included in this article will, I hope, alert people to the beauty that is out there.

On the way back, a happy man.

Manganite, Caland Mine, Atikokan. This miniature specimen contains a small vug filled with many 3 mm long manganite crystals. Specimen 5 cm wide. Photo by Dirk Schmid.

I hope, that in my position as Manager of the Atikokan Mining Attraction, I can successfully obtain funding to construct a proper lookout at one of the pits, and work toward a greater appreciation of "the pits" as a place for more than just the dumping of old refrigerators. Ouimet Canyon, east of Thunder Bay, and now a provincial park with protected areas for fragile fauna, at one point was a dumping place for old cars. Now it has a system of boardwalks, interpretive panels and a lovely lookout. That is my inspiration.

Certainly the members of the Brampton Rock and Mineral Club and the Walker club enjoyed themselves out there. And I did too.

Tours

Tours to the mine sites are available. To arrange a tour, please contact Ray Bernatchez, at (807) 597-4526, or e-mail him at rayberntchez@nwon.com.

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