“A great day for Canadian mining” was the consensus of some 500 invited guests attending the recent gala opening of the Viola MacMillan Mineral Gallery here.
The gallery provides a home for the magnificent Pinch mineral collection, with more than 10,000 specimens from around the world. It also affords fascinating insights into the basics of mining, including a realistic underground trip down a vertical shaft and into a gold mine’s workings. As well, there is a fantasy journey through time and space depicting the story of the earth’s evolution.
The opening ceremony itself was performed by Canada’s Governor General, Ramon Hnatyshyn, to the roll of trumpets and drums of the nattily attired Governor General Foot Guards.
Master of Ceremonies was Dr. Alan Emery, director of the Canadian Museum of Nature. The museum houses the gallery in a beautiful old building that was the original home of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) now celebrating its 150th anniversary.
“Ottawa is proud to have a mineral collection of this quality on display where visitors of all ages can enjoy these specimens for their beauty, rarity and significance,” said Charles Smith, co-ordinator for the GSC’s anniversary. Another highlight was the showing of a well-received film on the life of Viola MacMillan, after whom the gallery was named. She headed the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) for 21 years. It will be shown at the PDAC annual convention this year in Toronto beginning March 29 and on national television later this year.
Phase two of the MacMillan gallery is scheduled to open a year from now.
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