It's Rock-Solid BS (Boreal Shield)

A detailed Summary of It's Rock-Solid BS (Boreal Shield)

Canada is divided into fifteen land-based ecozones. The Boreal Shield is one of them. It covers most of Ontario and parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Sudbury is on of the principal cities in the Boreal Shield. The Boreal Shield is a unique ecozone in Canada because of its dependence on mining, forestry, and Sudbury's re-greening.

Sudbury is known as the nickel capital of the world. This is not actually true though because Sudbury produces more copper then nickel each year. The element nickel was first discovered in 1751 (Myslik) and discovered in Sudbury in circa 1884 (Winterhalder p.24). Although more copper is being produced, Sudbury still plays a big role in the world's supply of nickel. During 1910 - 1920, the INCO mines in Sudbury were producing 95% of the world's nickel (Myslik). Presently, INCO produces one million pounds of nickel and one million pounds of copper a day (Hirvela).

The process of mining in Sudbury and other parts of the Boreal Shield is a very special one. First of all, you have to find a place that is rich in minerals and other metals desired. One way precious metals can be found is using a "Bird". A "Bird" is a device that is attached to a plane. It scans the ground below an

denseness to determine where to place the mineshaft, if needed. When these tests are finished, it will take several years before mining actually begins in this area. Another thing to determine is whether to use an open pit mine, or a mineshaft. If the desired material is less than 500ft. below ground, you would use and open pit mine. If more than 500ft. below ground, you would use a mineshaft (Myslick). The next part of the process is the actual mining. Ore is extracted from the Earth and then crushed. 97% of the actual rock mined is waste (Myslik). After mining, the crushed ore is sent to the mill where the ore is crushed even more into a fine powder and "floated". The powder is placed in giant tanks filled with water. Only the valuable material will float, so as the top layer is skimmed off. 12,000 gallons of water are used per minute for milling (Myslik). The final parts of the process are smelting and refining. The finished product is then sold to consumers who manufacture it for everyday purposes such as jewellery, electronics etc.

d picks up magnetic waves come from the metals underground. In Sudbury area, almost all of the mines are on the edge of the Sudbury Basin. This is because there are big cracks in the rock and this makes the mining easier. These places are also the richest in minerals and precious metals. The second part of the process is to drill and test parts of the rock for its consistency and

more trees. People depend on the re-greening so they can do scientific research. In terms of reputation, in 1992 (Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro), the UN recognized Sudbury for it's re-greening of 10,000 hectares of damaged land (Author Unavailable pp. A6). In the past, Sudbury gained notoriety as the world's largest point source of sulphur dioxide (Lees p.63). Sudbury is now known as "Canada's Best Kept Secret" and as the nickel capital of the world. But, there are questions being asked, "Who will maintain it? Should logging be permitted [in the parts of the Boreal Shield that surround Sudbury and are now thriving with wildlife and trees] or should it be preserved?" (Lees p.70). All of this leads me to believe that the Boreal Shield is, without a doubt, a unique ecozone in Canada because of its dependence on mining, forestry, and Sudbury's re-greening. What do you think?

During the Grade 9 trip to Sudbury, there was a stop at the Frood Open Mine Pit (owned by INCO). At this pit, there is a sign/"plaque" that reads: "Mining at this pit started in 1938. This mine was a primary production source for INCO during the next 24 years at a maximum rate of production. During WWII, ore was being mined at a rate of one million tonnes per month. During its operating life, the pit produced 61 million tonnes of ore containing 4 billion pounds of copper and nickel. The pit size today is a reflection of not only open pit mining, but caving induced by mining under the pit floor." The copper and nickel produced at this pit during WWII was most likely used for weapons and other equipment needed for the war. This shows that not only the Boreal Shield is dependent of its mining industry.

It's Rock-Solid BS (Boreal Shield) cont.

It's Rock-Solid BS (Boreal Shield) cont.

It's Rock-Solid BS (Boreal Shield) cont.

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Approximate Word count = 2242
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History