Albert Salter
Encyclopedia
Albert Salter was a provincial land surveyor
in Ontario
in the mid-19th century. He is historically most notable for having discovered magnetic abnormalities at what is now Creighton Mine in Greater Sudbury, while surveying a baseline westward from Lake Nipissing
in 1856. The area was then examined by Alexander Murray of the Geological Survey of Canada, who confirmed "the presence of an immense mass of magnetic trap".
Due to the then-remoteness of the Sudbury area, however, Salter's discovery did not have much immediate impact. The later construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
through the area, however, made mineral exploration more feasible and finally resulted in the development of a mining settlement in 1883.
Salter's Meridian is commemorated by a historical plaque in the Naughton neighbourhood of Sudbury.
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in the mid-19th century. He is historically most notable for having discovered magnetic abnormalities at what is now Creighton Mine in Greater Sudbury, while surveying a baseline westward from Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of , a mean elevation of above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Excluding the Great Lakes, Lake Nipissing is the fifth-largest lake in Ontario. It is relatively shallow for a...
in 1856. The area was then examined by Alexander Murray of the Geological Survey of Canada, who confirmed "the presence of an immense mass of magnetic trap".
Due to the then-remoteness of the Sudbury area, however, Salter's discovery did not have much immediate impact. The later construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
through the area, however, made mineral exploration more feasible and finally resulted in the development of a mining settlement in 1883.
Salter's Meridian is commemorated by a historical plaque in the Naughton neighbourhood of Sudbury.