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The Francon quarry ranks as the second most prolific type locality in Canada after Mont Saint-Hilaire. It has yielded ten new mineral species: weloganite, dresserite, hydrodresserite, strontiodresserite, sabinaite, franconite, doyleite (co-type-locality), hochelagaite (co-type-locality), montroyalite and voggite. Weloganite, described in 1968, established the quarry as a world-famous mineral collecting site. Weloganite was the first known zirconium carbonate, and remarkably, it occurs as attractive, well-formed crystals up to 6 cm in size. Ninety species have been documented from the quarry, mostly from the unique, dawsonite-rich carbonatized phonolite sills which are genetically part of the Monteregian Hills alkaline igneous province.
LOCATION
The Francon quarry is unusual in being located in the midst of a large metropolis, the city of Montréal, on the Island of Montréal. It is situated at latitude 45°34'20'' N, longitude 73°36'50'' W, in what was previously known as the Saint-Michel district, and is now part of the Arrondissement de Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension (Borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Park-Extension). The quarry is shown on National Topographic System Map 31 H/12. The original entrance to the quarry was at 3701 rue Jarry Est.
Some confusion can arise from the fact that the last operator of the quarry, Francon (1966) Limitée, also worked the former Francon (Montréal-Est) quarry,1 situated 8 km to the northeast, at latitude 45°37'14'' N, longitude 73°32'06'' W, in the municipality of Montréal-Est. The latter quarry is now called the Lafarge Carrière [= quarry] Montréal-Est. In order to avoid confusion, mineral labels for the Francon quarry should read Francon quarry, Saint-Michel district, Montréal, Québec, Canada. In some publications Montréal Island appears as part of the locality designation. This is redundant and should be avoided.
HISTORY
As early as the 17th century the abundant outcrops of limestone on the Island of Montréal were being used as a source of building material and for the production of lime. By the 19th century, Montréal had become known as "the old gray city" because of the numerous public and private buildings constructed of local limestone (Collard, 1981). Since the end of the 19th century, the island's limestone has been quarried for road material, concrete aggregate, and the manufacture of cement.
Quarrying on the present site of the Francon quarry was begun in 1914 by the Quinlan and Robertson Company (Gauthier, 1919). Subsequent operators...