The Geological Association of Canada (GAC) is a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

that promotes and develops the

geological sciences Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Eart ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The organization holds conferences, meetings and exhibitions for the discussion of geological problems and the exchange of views in matters related to geology. It publishes various journals and collections of learned papers dealing with geology.

History

On February 14, 1947, a group of geologists met in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

with the objective of creating the Geological Institute of Canada, an association of geologists with the purpose of promoting, discussing and disseminating geological knowledge. Later that year a preliminary

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and

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were approved and the first

Councillors A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

were elected. The organization's name was changed to the Geological Association of Canada. The group initially began with 140 charter members. The Association was designed to bridge the gap between the perceived industrial mineral orientation of the Geological Division of the

Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is a not-for-profit technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries. CIM's members are convened from industry, academia and go ...

, and the purely scientific objectives of Section IV of the

Royal Society of Canada The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...

. The Geological Association of Canada (GAC) is currently a national multi-disciplinary geoscience organization with representatives in all Canadian Territories and Provinces as well as the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. The GAC makes significant contributions to the promotion and development of the geological sciences in Canada through publications, awards, conferences, meetings and exhibitions. Objectives of the Geological Association of Canada: * to promote the science of geology and closely related fields of study * to promote the knowledge of its members * to hold conferences, meetings and exhibitions for the discussion of geological problems and the exchange of views in matters related to geology * to publish journals and collections of learned papers dealing with geology GAC provides geoscientists from Canada and abroad with Annual Conferences, known as the GAC-MAC (

Mineralogical Association of Canada Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proce ...

), Sympsia, Short Courses, Field Trips, National Geoscience Lecture Tours, as well as Geoscience Canada and GEOLOG publications.

Sections and Divisions

GAC Members can also choose to join and participate in numerous Sections, representing geographic regions; and Divisions, representing specific branches of geoscience. The GAC's Sections and Divisions publish books and newsletters, host meetings, talks and lectures along with promoting general geoscience relative to their areas or disciplines. Sections include:
AQUEST (Quebec)

Cordilleran (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Edmonton Geological Society (Alberta)

Newfoundland and Labrador Section
* Pacific Section (Victoria, British Columbia)
Winnipeg Geological Society (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Divisions include:
Canadian Geomorphological Research Group

Canadian Sedimentology Research Group

Canadian Tectonics Group

Environmental Earth Sciences Division

Geomatics Division

Isotope Sciences Division

Mineral Deposit Division

Paleontology Division

Planetary Sciences Division

Precambrian Division

Volcanology and Igneous Petrology Division

Medals and awards

The Geological Association of Canada recognizes geological contributions with a series of individual awards. * The

Logan Medal :::''There is also a Logan Medal of the arts, awarded by the Chicago Arts Institute.'' The Logan Medal is the highest award of the Geological Association of Canada. Named after Sir William Edmond Logan, noted 19th-century Canadian geologist. It ...

for sustained distinguished achievement in Canadian earth science. * The

Ambrose Medal The J. Willis Ambrose Medal is an award presented by the Geological Association of Canada, and is named after the association's first President, J. Willis Ambrose. It is awarded annually, unless no suitable candidate is identified, "to an individu ...

for sustained dedicated service to the Canadian earth science community * The W. W. Hutchison Medal (previously the Past Presidents' Medal), awarded to a young individual for recent exceptional advances in Canadian earth science research * The E. R. Ward Neale Medal for sustained outstanding efforts in sharing earth science with Canadians * The

Yves Fortier Earth Science Journalism Award The Yves O. Fortier Earth Science Journalism Award is presented annually by the Geological Association of Canada to "a journalist who is a resident of Canada and who has been exceptionally effective in presenting one or more earth science stories ...

for excellence in journalistic treatment of earth science in the newspaper medium

Allied Societies

The Geological Society of America

External links

A Short History of the Geological Association of CanadaThe Mineralogical Association of CanadaGeological Survey of Canada , Natural Resources Canada
{{authority control Scientific organizations established in 1947 Scientific organizations based in Canada

History

Sections and Divisions

Medals and awards

Partner Societies

Allied Societies

See also

External links