Robert Bell National Historic Person of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Posted by: 
colincan
N 45° 24.110 W 075° 42.329
18T E 444787 N 5027832
One of Canada's most accomplished explorers, Robert Bell made most of his voyages of discovery with an academic goal in mind. His knowledge of Hudson Bay was unsurpassed and he spent much of his life contributing to the Geological Survey of Canada.
Waymark Code: WM80NY
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/04/2010
Views: 33
Robert Bell (1841-1917) possessed an expansive scientific knowledge and through his explorations made invaluable contributions to the Geological Survey of Canada for whom he worked for the better part of a half century. He started out as a fieldworker in 1856 and his voyages of investigation took him to the northern realms of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba where he studied the drainage basin of Hudson Bay. The breadth of his studies encompassed botany, zoology, hydrology and geology. He brought back many rock and soil samples and notes about the climate. He has named more geographical features than perhaps any other Canadian. His observations had some impact on engineers who ultimately selected the route for the western sections of the transcontinental railway. He was a vocal proponent of Hudson Bay being opened as a transportation route to link Western Canada with Europe. For a period in the 1860s Bell was a professor of natural science at Queen’s University. He returned to the Geological Survey however and attained the post of assistant director, but never director, a fact that did not sit well with him. Nonetheless he may be Canada’s most accomplished academic explorer. He was designated of national significance in 1938 and a federal plaque was erected to commemorate him in 1981.
Classification: National Historic Person
Province or Territory: Ontario
Location - City name/Town name: Ottawa
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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