Donors

We would like to say thank you to all of our generous donors. The museum would not be what it is today without your generous contributions.

Donor Funded Projects 

(In reverse chronological order)

Aivars Petersons Collection

1954 – 2020, BSc 1979 

Aivars Petersons was born in Malartic Quebec and grew up in Sudbury and Elliot Lake Ontario. He first arrived at the University of Waterloo as a computer science student, but quickly switched to geology. Once graduated he pursued a career as a computer scientist but remained a devoted mineral collector and geology hobbyist for the rest of his life.  

We deeply appreciate receiving his mineral collection, the embodiment of his life-long passion. Below are some photos of Aivars taken at field school in 1979.  He collected many of his samples on UW trips like this.


Reimer Family Gallery

 Interactive Displays of Fine Minerals and Fossils.
Jim Reimer.

Jim Reimer and his family are major benefactors of the Earth Sciences Museum at the University of Waterloo. The Reimer Family Gallery is currently being established in the Museum. The Gallery will consist of four parts: The "Reimer Family Mineral Collection", the “Groundwater-Driven Mineralization" display, the “Petrified Wood" display and the "Laboratory of Life" exhibit. Presently, staff at the Earth Sciences Museum are developing the Museum’s “Laboratory of Life” exhibit which will feature magnificent specimens from a major new Canadian fossil discovery.


Beyond Walls

We would like to recognize and thank Equitable Life of Canada for sponsoring our current project which will bring the Earth Sciences Museum beyond our physical walls by making three augmented reality apps available to anyone around the world. Two displays: Puzzle Pit and Planning Paradise and their associated apps will be available to the public in January of 2018.

Logo of Equitable Life of Canada

"Mastodon: Life, Death, and Discovery" Augmented Reality Display

"Mastodon: Life, Death, and Discovery" is a permanent display depicting an ice age mammal, a mastodon, trapped in a North American bog. The designed mural by Ontario artist Mark Rehkopf consists of mastodon bone casts reaching out into the museum’s third floor atrium. Visitors of the Earth Sciences Museum are able to view, through augmented reality, a time sequence synopsis of the mastodon when it was first stuck in the peat land and then it being fossilized and lastly unearthed by natural processes.

This project was completed in October 2014, and was made possible by generous contributions and donations from the following organizations and individuals:

Ontario logo.
Canadian Geological Foundation logo.
  • Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport - Museums and Technology Fund
  • Peter Morris and Mona Negolita
  • Canadian Geological Foundation
  • Bill and Doreen Motz
  • Bill and Doreen Motz
  • Barry G. Warner
  • Paul F. Karrow
  • J. Frank Brookfield


Mining Tunnel Project

We would like to recognize and thank the donors to our Cobalt Mining Tunnel:

Barrick Gold Corporation

Portrait of J.P. Bickell

J.P. Bickell Foundation

Town of Cobalt

Canadian Geological Foundation

Barry Warner

Stantec


Drill Bits

brown metal drill bits hanging from ceiling

All bits are used in some aspect of oil and gas extraction. The small bits are used to drill seismic holes. The buttons on the bits are made of tungsten carbide. The small bit at the left, front is a diamond coring bit.

These drill bits were donated to the Earth Science Museum by:

  • Security DBS Calgary Christian Catrinuscu, Engineer: four button bits

  • Christensen Mining Products - Don Kretzel, General Manager: diamond coring bit

  • Walker McDonald Bits - Ivor Williams, Warehouse Manager: tricone bicore and percussion bits

A special thanks to Jerry Pilny, University of Waterloo Earth Sciences Alumnus who worked with the companies to arrange the donations.


Below is a list of our donors in alphabetical order. This list will be updated on a regular basis.

  • Allstone Quarry – Joe Melo
  • Alan Alward
  • Erma Jean Anderson
  • Edward C. Appleyard
  • Harry Ball
  • Chris Barnes
  • L.H. Beamer
  • Dr. Uwe Brand
  • Brantford Lapidary and Mineral Society
  • Frank Brookfield
  • Winnifred Caldwell
  • Roger Poulin Caron
  • Central Canadian Federation of Mineralogical Societies
  • Christian Mining Products
  • Wallace Edwards
  • Ernie Edmonds
  • D. Earling
  • Ralph Comfort
  • Wayne Debrusk
  • Lew Depew and Family
  • Elaine Dill
  • Wilfred and Dorothy Dippel
  • Bill Erickson
  • Shirley Fenton
  • Ian and Carol Fong
  • Vicki and Mike Fortin
  • Albert Ganci
  • Bob Gardiner
  • Gene Gravel
  • Norman and Margaret Henwood
  • Paul Karrow
  • Michael Kunert
  • Katherine La Hay
  • Lawrence Lamb
  • K-W Gem and Mineral Club
  • Madawaska Mine, Bancroft
  • Don and Lillian McTavish
  • Reiner Mielke
  • Winfried Mielke
  • Peter and Nesta Morris
  • Alan V. Morgan
  • Bill and Doreen Motz
  • John Motz
  • Peter Nielsen
  • Aivars Petersons
  • Gerry Pilney
  • Alexander Pryor
  • Mark Rehkopf
  • John and Jim Reimer
  • Gwilym Roberts
  • Peter Russell
  • Dr. Donald L. Salter
  • Dr. J. Satterley
  • Security DBS Calgary
  • Josef Sönser
  • University of Waterloo Staff Association
  • Walker McDonald Bits
  • Ontario Place
  • Stan Williams
  • Maggie Wilson
  • Johann Werner
  • Ronald Zinn