Introduction

Photo: Courtesy of Will Samis

In recent years many North Americans have become increasingly aware of our scenic attractions and the part geology has played in the development of the landscape. If you turn north at Thessalon, off Highway 17 onto Highway 129 you can see the outcrops of volcanic rocks formed and shaped billions of years ago, and then scraped smooth and rounded by glaciers which passed over the area between 10,000 and 1 million years ago. Amongst all these rocks are various mineral deposits, some of which have been mined. (For more information on mining, see Industry.)

"The Beginning" is about how the Earth was originally formed, starting from day one and ending just before the ice age.

"Glaciation" is about when the glaciers moved over the area, and the destruction they caused in the mean time.