Tweed
Hours of Operation
9:00AM to 12:00PM
1:00PM to 4:30PM
Monday to Friday
Additional access may be arranged by appointment only. A minimum of five days prior notice is required to view diamond drill core. To arrange alternate access or make an appointment to view core please call:
(613) 478-3161
Southern Region stretches over 700 km from the USA-Ontario border in the west, along Great Lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to the Quebec-Ontario border in the east. The northern boundary of the Region cuts across Georgian Bay striking westward north of Lake Simcoe to the Precambrian Shield, including Algonquin Park and neighboring townships, ending at the Ottawa River and the Province of Quebec. From Paleozoic sedimentary rocks to the metamorphic terranes of the Central Metasedimentary Belt and Central Gneiss Belt, the Region hosts some of the most diverse and productive geology in the province.
Southern Region is home to more than 80 non-aggregate mineral extraction operations including numerous open pits / quarries, 4 underground mines and 2 brine fields. Many extracting companies have on-site manufacturing facilities – producing brick, high purity calcium carbonate mineral fillers, calcium metal, cement, chemicals, dolime, lime, magnesium metal, roofing granules, salt products, strontium metal, micronised talc, vermiculite and wallboard. In 2006, Southern Ontario non-metallic mineral production valued at close to $2.5 billion, representing over 30% of the total value of minerals produced in the province.
Interesting Fact: Five of Ontario’s top 10 mineral commodities are mined only in the Southern Region
Interesting Facts: The Unimin Canada Ltd. nepheline syenite mine near Peterborough is the largest producer and deposit of nepheline syenite in the world. Nepheline syenite is a key ingredient in specialty glass and ceramic products.
The Southeastern District Office is located in the town of Tweed, Ontario. The District includes the cities of Ottawa, Kingston, Peterborough and Pembroke, Ontario, as well as numerous smaller communities. The bulk of the mineral production in this District today consists of non-metallic, industrial mineral commodities. However, historic production includes gold, copper, lead, zinc and iron. The earliest, non-Aboriginal mining activities in Ontario occurred in this District; for instance, the first gold discovery in Ontario was made in 1866, north of the town of Madoc, in Hastings County.
Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday
9:00AM to 12:00PM
1:00PM to 4:30PM
Additional access may be arranged by appointment only. A minimum of five days prior notice is required to view diamond drill core. To arrange alternate access or make an appointment to view core please call:
(613) 478−3161.
Historic Production in the Southeastern District (pdf)
Mineral Deposits not Being Mined (pdf)
The Southwestern Ontario District office is housed within the Mines and Minerals Information in downtown Toronto. The District includes the Greater Toronto area, and extends north to the edge of the Canadian Shield and west to include the Niagara, Ontario and Bruce peninsulas. Major urban centres within the District include Toronto, Oshawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Barrie, Orillia, Owen Sound, Sarnia, Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. The District is home to 75% of Ontario residents.
The Southwest Ontario District is a major producer of industrial minerals. In 1998, the District had 42 non-aggregate mineral quarries and mines in operation. The value of mineral production in the District was in excess of $1.2 billion, approximately 25% of Ontario’s total. Production included the extraction and manufacture of salt, gypsum (wallboard), shale (brick), limestone (cement, lime), aggregate, dolostone (dolime), building stone, and oil/gas.
Exploration and development projects currently underway include aggregate, high-purity limestone, shale/brick, cement, building stone, and oil/gas.
Minerals Exploration, Advanced Exploration & Development Projects Southwest Ontario District(pdf)
Southwestern district stone producers (pdf)
