Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan
F.M. Haidl, C.F. Gilboy, and Robert J.W. Turner 1
Haidl, F.M., Gilboy, C.F., and Turner, R.J.W. (2003): Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan; in Summary of Investigations 2003,
Volume 1, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Sask. Industry Resources, Misc. Rep. 2003-4.1, CD-ROM, Paper A-13, 7p.
Abstract
Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan is an outreach project sponsored by Natural Resources Canada (Geological
Survey of Canada) and Saskatchewan Industry and Resources in collaboration with partners from industry,
universities, K-12 schools, and other government and geoscience organizations. The prime purpose of Geoscape
Southern Saskatchewan is to explain in a simple and direct way how our geological heritage and the geological
processes most active in the southern half of the province influence the lives of the area’s residents. A large format
poster has been developed and is in its final stages of production. It will be printed in late summer 2003, at which
time the poster contents will be added to the national Geoscape Website (www.geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca).
The central graphic of the Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan poster features a digital elevation model atop a 3-D
model of the subsurface geology of the province and a spectacular photograph of Castle Butte. A special place has
been reserved for “Scotty”, Saskatchewan’s own Tyrannosaurus rex. Thematic panels surrounding the central
image focus on the links between glaciation, topography, land use, water resources, and geologic hazards in the
area south of the Precambrian Shield edge. The value of the Saskatchewan River system and groundwater
resources is emphasized. Southern Saskatchewan’s energy and mineral resources, including coal, petroleum,
potash and diamonds, are also highlighted and are placed in their geological and economic contexts.
Text for the poster has been written at a Grade 8 comprehension level to meet the needs of a broad range of users.
Our main target audience is K-12 students and their teachers. The usefulness of the poster to this group will be
greatly enhanced by a spin-off project, led by the Saskatchewan Geological Society, whereby additional geoscience,
engineering, economic, and community information along with classroom activities will be developed for
publication in CD and paper format, and for inclusion on a planned Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan Website.
Keywords: Saskatchewan, geoscience, education, glaciation, topography, subsurface, hazards, water, resources.
1. Introduction
Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan is an educational poster that features panels highlighting some of the most
important and societally relevant aspects of Saskatchewan’s geology south of the Precambrian Shield edge. It has
been prepared by Natural Resources Canada (Geological Survey of Canada) and Saskatchewan Industry and
Resources, in collaboration with partners from industry, universities, K-12 schools, and other federal and provincial
government agencies.
The poster is intended to deepen public appreciation of our dependence, both direct and indirect, upon the Earth and
its ability to provide us with water and food that enable us to live, and energy sources and minerals that can
considerably enhance our safety and comfort. In addition, the beauty and diversity of Saskatchewan’s landscape and
the numerous recreational opportunities offered within the province are highlighted by the poster’s eye-catching
design and the use of abundant photographs which clearly demonstrate that “Saskatchewan is not just flat!”
2. Poster Content
The large-format poster (Figure 1) is composed of a central image around which are clustered ten thematic panels.
The poster illustrates geoscience issues with 43 photographs, 31 graphics (including maps), and a minimum of text.
Text is written at a Grade 8 level and places the geoscience information in the context of Saskatchewan
communities, with a minimum of geological jargon. “Puzzlers” included in several panels are designed to stimulate
exploration of links between the panels and to encourage further research (e.g. Figure 2).
1
Natural Resources Canada, 101 - 605 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3.
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Figure 1 - May 2003 version of the Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan poster (central image photograph of Castle Butte by Douglas E. Walker, courtesy of Tourism
Saskatchewan; central image digital elevation model by Kaz Shimamura; graphics and design by Richard Franklin).
Figure 2 - “Food from the Land” panel illustrates links between different types of glacial deposits, topography, and land use
(May 2003 version). Also shown is an example of the use of computer-based GIS systems to manage land use.
a) Central Image
The central image features: 1) a spectacular photograph of Castle Butte in the Big Muddy area near Bengough, 2) a
block diagram incorporating an oblique view of a digital elevation model atop a simplified version of the subsurface
geology of Saskatchewan, and 3) a dramatic graphic of “Scotty”, Saskatchewan’s very own Tyrannosaurus rex. The
essence of the poster is captured in the accompanying text.
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Geoscience for Prairie Communities
We are prairie people, inhabiting a dry grassland landscape – a mosaic of flat plains, rolling hills, steep-sided
valleys, and forested coulees. Two centuries ago this prairie was an ocean of grass and home to First Nations
peoples and millions of bison; today, the grasslands are largely gone, the soil tilled into farmlands. Most of us live
in cities and towns, but all of us are tied to our geological landscape – or geoscape – by the energy we draw from it,
the earth on which our homes are built, the water we drink, and the food that grows from our soil and water. Rich
resources lie hidden beneath the prairie surface and our modern life is fueled by energy from coal, oil, and natural
gas. The availability of water has always defined the limits of prairie life – where it was sufficient, ranches, farms,
and towns sprang up. Our agriculture is built upon Saskatchewan’s soil, formed from mineral-rich debris left by
retreating glaciers more than 8000 years ago. As custodians of this land, we are responsible for its care. By
understanding our geoscape, we can promote its wise use: conserving water, energy, and mineral resources;
minimizing the impact of natural hazards; and protecting natural ecosystems that sustain our life.
b) Thematic Panels
Panel themes were chosen to reflect geoscience issues important to the people who live in southern Saskatchewan,
keeping in mind the primary goal of the national Geoscape Canada project (of which Geoscape Southern
Saskatchewan is a part) to promote wiser, science-based decision-making at all levels through improved public
understanding of earth science issues within communities.
Several panels emphasize the links between glaciation, topography, land use, water resources, and geological
hazards (e.g. Figure 2). Southern Saskatchewan’s surface water resources are the focus of a panel that provides
information on the Saskatchewan River Watershed and on the many uses of water from that system (Figure 3). The
“Groundwater: Vital but Vulnerable” panel addresses the importance of groundwater to many Saskatchewan
communities.
Two poster panels feature geological hazards in southern Saskatchewan: 1) landslides and 2) damage to foundations
and roads caused by shrinking and swelling of expansive clays. Each of these panels also provides an example of a
solution to problems posed by these hazards.
Important components of Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan are the graphics that illustrate the third dimension of
Saskatchewan’s geoscape – the older layers of rocks that lie beneath the glacial deposits (e.g. the block diagram in
the central image, and Figures 4 and 5). The “Riches from the Earth” panel highlights the province’s subsurface
energy and mineral resources, including oil, gas, coal, potash and diamonds, and places them in their geological and
economic context (Figure 5). Other treasures featured on the poster are dinosaur fossils found within Cretaceous
rocks in southwestern Saskatchewan (e.g. graphic of “Scotty” in the central image).
3. Distribution
It is anticipated that the Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan poster will be printed in late summer 2003. Funding for
printing has been provided by Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, the Saskatchewan Geological Society (SGS),
and Natural Resources Canada. In Saskatchewan, distribution of copies to every Saskatchewan school and to
interested teachers will be done by the SGS, in partnership with Saskatchewan Department of Learning and local
school boards. Posters will also be available to the general public at a cost of $15 each through the SGS, and across
Canada at NRCan bookstores. In addition, poster contents will be added to the national Geoscape Website at
www.geoscape.nrcan.gc.ca.
4. The Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan Poster Team
Many organizations and individuals contributed to preparation of the Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan posters as
illustrated by the following information from the credits section of the poster.
Produced by: Robert Turner, Fran Haidl, Chris Gilboy, and John Clague
Graphics and design: Richard Franklin
Central image map: Kaz Shimamura
Contributors:
Saskatchewan Industry and Resources: Chris Gilboy, Fran Haidl, and Andrew Nimegeers
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada: Bob Turner, and John Clague
University of Regina: Janis Dale
Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration: Ophelia Dagenais, Barry Jones, Wade Nyirfa, and Malcolm Black
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Figure 3 - The Saskatchewan River System carries water to many Saskatchewan communities where it is used to meet a
diversity of needs. Graphics modified from “Water: A Precious Resource in a Thirsty Land” panel (May 2003 version).
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Figure 4 - “What if We Just Kept Digging?” panel provides a summary of the geological history of the Earth as preserved in
the Estevan area (May 2003 version).
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority: Nolan Shaheen
Royal Saskatchewan Museum: Harold Byrant
GE Ground Engineering: Paul Kozicki and Tim Adelman
Others: Phillip Currie, Richard Franklin, Brian Eckel, and Gordon Domm
5. Where Do We Go From Here?
The main target audience of the Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan poster is K-12 teachers and their students. The
usefulness of the poster to this group will be greatly enhanced by a project led by the Saskatchewan Geological
Society. This project, initiated in Spring 2003, will develop additional geoscience, engineering, economic, and
community information plus classroom activities for: a) publication in CD and paper format, and b) inclusion on a
planned Geoscape Southern Saskatchewan Website.
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Figure 5 - “Riches from the Earth” panel highlights the resources contained in Saskatchewan’s sedimentary rocks (May 2003 version).