Ontario. Geological Branch

• Geological Branch

The Geological Branch was created in 1903 within the Bureau of Mines and was originally comprised of the Provincial Geologist and three survey geologists. In 1905 the branch was moved to the jurisdiction of the Department and Lands and Mine, and in 1906 to the Department of Lands, Forests and Mine. When the Department of Mines was created in 1920, the branch became part of that department.

Until 1966, the internal structure of the branch remained quite simple, but in that year several sections were created: the Industrial Minerals Section, the Resident Geologists Section, the Data Retrieval and Education Section and the Review and Resources Section. In 1972 and 1973, the branch was re-organized into the Scientific Review Section, the Cartography Section, the Precambrian Geology Section, the Phanerozoic Geology Section, the Geophysics/Geochemistry Section and the Mineral Deposits Section.

Between 1972 and 1977 the Geological Branch formed part of the Division of Mines of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Geological Branch ceased to exist when the Ontario Geological Survey assumed its functions after its creation in 1977.

The Geological Branch was responsible for the study of the geology and mineral deposits in Ontario. It assisted those engaged in the discovery and exploitation of mineral deposits and provided information for the planning of resource utilization.

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

MNR Annual Reports, 1973-

Geological Branch. "History and Organization of the Geological Branch", ca. 1975, from RG 1-374 Operational Files, File 5744-02.

Ontario Government Telephone Directories, 1965-1968.

Not found in Canadiana Authorities, 1996-12- 24, although some agencies that are subordinate to the Geological Branch are found there.

Archivist(s):
Nancy Martin, Susan McClure