NOTES ON MINERAL FUELS or CANADA: BY R. W. ELLS, 

 LL. I)., F. K. S. C., Geological Survey.. Ottawa. 



(Read 14th. January, 1907.) 



The rapidly growing importance of the Dominion of Can- 

 ada, with its ever-increasing development of manufacturing 

 industries, and its general commercial progress, calls for con- 

 tinued research for materials suitable for the generation of 

 light, heat a'nd power. To some extent the latter feature is now 

 being supplied by the production of electricity through the 

 utilization of the numerous waterfalls found in every province, 

 and the power thus furnished will doubtless in a few years be 

 sufficient not only to supply our numerous manufacturing 

 centres, but to do away to a large extent with the use of steam 

 on our great lines of railway. But since the varied climate of 

 our country makes artificial heat a necessity for nearly half the 

 year, and many industries exist for which electrical power is 

 not readily available, a constant supply of mineral fuel will 

 always be required. From this standpoint, therefore, a brief 

 glance at our present known available resources in this line may 

 not be devoid of public interest. 



Not so many years ago it was the generallv accepted opinion 

 that Canada, as a whole, was largely lacking in this element of a 

 nation's progress. The coal fields of the Maritime Provinces 

 were known to some extent, and had been worked on a small 

 scale for many years, but Ontario and Quebec were regarded as 

 entirely lacking in a natural fuel supply; As regards coal 

 proper, this is practically true for both provinces, yet other 

 materials exist which, as will be pointed out, will furnish a 

 fairly good substitute for bituminous coal. Of the boundless 

 stores of mineral fuel which have been discovered on the great 



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