Technical Tours
GeoSaskatoon 2023 is pleased to offer the following technical tours in addition to the official conference program:
- Tour No 1: South Saskatchewan River Tour
- Tour No 2: Nutrien Cory Potash Mine Tour
- Tour No 3: Canadian Light Source Tour
- Tour No 4: GoHazards – Riverbank Instability in the City of Saskatoon Saskatchewan
GeoSaskatoon 2023 reserves the right to cancel the tour should the minimum number of registrants not be reached. In the event of a cancellation, registrants will be notified by email and offered a full refund.
Technical tour fees are in Canadian Dollars and are subject to GST tax of 5%.
Tour No 1: South Saskatchewan River Tour
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2023
Time: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm*
Duration: 9 hours
Cost: Full/Student $150
Please join us for a day tour of the South Saskatchewan River Project. The South Saskatchewan River Project consists of two major dams including Gardiner Dam and Qu’Appelle River Dam. Gardiner Dam is located on the South Saskatchewan River approximately 100 km upstream (South) of Saskatoon, SK. The Qu’Appelle River Dam is located at the upstream end of the Qu’Appelle Valley approximately 140 km Northwest of Regina. The combination of these structures impounds the 225 km long Lake Diefenbaker, supplying 1/3 of the provinces drinking water. The project was constructed between 1958 and 1968 and is owned and operated by the Water Security Agency.
Gardiner Dam is one of the largest rolled earth embankment dams in the world. The dam measures 64 m high, 5000 m long and 1500 m wide. Qu’Appelle River Dam is the smaller of the two structures and measures 27 m high and 3000 m long. Gardiner Dam pioneered the design and construction of structures on highly overconsolidated clay shales. The concept of slope stability back analysis was developed at Gardiner Dam and one of the first applications of residual shear strength in dam design was performed.
Participants will tour the scenic Saskatchewan landscape including a variety of terrain, agriculture and visits to the Qu’Appelle Valley. You will first arrive at Gardiner Dam where you will be given a presentation of the history and construction of the project and a site tour of several components of the structure. Lunch will then be provided at Gardiner Dam. Following lunch, the tour will continue with a stop at the Qu’Appelle River Dam with the opportunity to view the dam from the overlooking viewpoint. The tour will then return to Saskatoon by late afternoon.
Tour participants are required to bring their own CSA-approved steel-toed boots. Hard hats and vests will be provided by Water Security Agency.
*Return time may vary depending on weather and road conditions.
Tour No 2: Nutrien Cory Potash Mine Tour
Due to an insufficient number of required participants this tour has been cancelled.
Refunds will be provided to all existing reservations.
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2023
Time: 7:15 am – 1:15 pm*
Duration: 7 hours
Cost: Full/Student $120
Come tour the Nutrien Cory Potash mine located approximately 20 km west of Saskatoon. The Cory Potash mine has been in operation for over 50 years and produces about 3.0 million tonnes of finished potash products a year. The tour will be approximately 4 hours long, including an underground tour and a surface tour.
Note: Lunch will be provided on this tour.
Tour participants are required to bring their own CSA-approved steel-toed boots. Hard hats and vests will be provided at the Potash Mine site.
*Return time may vary depending on weather and road conditions.
Tour No 3: Canadian Light Source Tour
Due to an insufficient number of required participants this tour has been cancelled.
Refunds will be provided to all existing reservations.
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2023
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm*
Duration: 2.5 hours
Cost: Full/Student $50
The Canadian Light Source is a class I nuclear facility, the only Canadian synchrotron. It accommodates the electron linac used to produce medical isotopes.
The Canadian Light Source (CLS) is one of the largest science projects in Canada’s history. The facility speeds up electrons to produce intensely bright synchrotron light that allows scientists to study materials at a molecular level. Over 1,000 researchers from around the world use the CLS every year. On your tour, you’ll learn about our history, how our machine works, and examples of how researchers have used our facility to conduct groundbreaking research in the fields of health, agriculture, the environment, and advanced materials.
*Return time may vary depending on weather and road conditions.
Tour No 4: Geohazards - Riverbank Instability in the City of Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2023
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm*
Duration: 6 hours
Cost: Full/Student $100
This site tour will include a review of several slope instability case study sites located in/near the City of Saskatoon, within the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Guided bus transportation/walking tours will be provided to access each of the study sites. An overview of the geotechnical, geological and hydrogeological background data will be provided for each case study site. Where stability improvements were constructed, a general description of these improvements will be provided.
Note: Lunch will be included on this tour.
*Return time may vary depending on weather and road conditions.
