North York in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

J. Tuzo Wilson

Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, January 18, 2016

1. J. Tuzo Wilson Marker

Inscription.
J. Tuzo Wilson
(1908-1993)
J. Tuzo Wilson, the world-renowned Canadian geophysicist, served as Director General of the Ontario Science Centre from 1974 to 1985. He was instrumental in developing the theory of Plate Tetonics in the 1960s. This theory describes the formation, motion and destruction of the Earth's crust, the origin of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and the growth of mountains. Dr. Wilson's signficant contributions to this theory revolutionized Earth Sciences. He proposed the existence of transform faults to explain the numerous narrow fracture zones and earthquakes along oceanic ridges. He also showed that rising magma plumes beneath the Earth's crust could create stationary hot spots, leading to the formation of mid-plate volcanic chains like the Hawaiian Islands.

The first graduate of geophysics from the University of Toronto in 1930, Dr. Wilson went on to study at Cambridge and Princeton, earning his doctorate in 1936. After spending two years with the Geological Survey of Canada and almost a decade with the Canadian Military Engineers, he accepted the position of Professor of Geophysics at the University of Toronto in 1946. Internationally recognized for his major contributions as a research scientist, educator and visionary, Dr. Wilson received many prestigious

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awards, including the Vetlesen Prize, the Earth Sciences equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1974.

Location. 43° 43.008′ N, 79° 20.315′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in North York. It is at the intersection of Don Mills Road and Saint Dennis Drive on Don Mills Road. Marker is at the front entrance plaza of the Ontario Science Centre. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto ON M3C1T3, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Toronto

and on the Golden Horseshoe.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: “Coca-Cola” by Walter Yarwood (approx. 1.3 kilometers away); William (Billy) McKay Jr. (1862 - 1943) (approx. 3 kilometers away); Kay Gardner Beltline Park (approx. 4.4 kilometers away); The Resting Place of Pioneers (approx. 4.8 kilometers away); The Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King / Le Très Honorable William Lyon Mackenzie King (approx. 4.8 kilometers away); William Lyon Mackenzie King (approx. 4.8 kilometers away); Yonge Station (approx. 5.1 kilometers away); Castle Frank (approx. 5.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.

More about this marker. The Ontario Science Centre on Don Mills Road closed to the public June 21, 2024. This marker is now inaccessible;
Photographed by Anton Schwarzmueller, January 18, 2016

2. J. Tuzo Wilson Marker & Geodetic Monument
Marker facing skyward at right.
its future doubtful.

Regarding J. Tuzo Wilson. The following are excerpts from an article by Vic Tyrer in the publication Geoscience Canada, Volume 51, 2004, p161-163, with permission from the author.

"On June 21, 2024, the Government of Ontario announced
that the Ontario Science Centre (OSC) in Toronto, originally
opened in 1969, would close to all visitors. This difficult decision was prompted by an
engineering report that identified issues with the roof of the
building related to the material known as reinforced autoclaved
aerated concrete, which is prone to long-term deterioration
through interaction with moisture. The decision has predictably proved controversial and other opinions (e.g. Lam
2024) held that full closure was unjustified. More recently, the
Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (2024) requested that
the building (designed by renowned architect Raymond
Moriyama at the start of his career) be designated under the
Ontario Heritage Act as an outstanding example of the so-called “brutalist” architectural style and for its many unique
features. Among the attributes noted in their lengthy document is the unusual installation known as the J. Tuzo Wilson
Geodetic Monument, which honours one of Canada’s most
famous Earth Scientists. The future of this

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is but one of many
questions that arise from unexpected closure of the OSC, but
it is one of particular concern to the Earth Sciences community.

"Dr. J. Tuzo Wilson was the Ontario Science Centre’s third
Director General from 1974 to 1985. He passed away in 1993
at the age of 84. In tribute to Dr. Wilson, a new exhibit was
unveiled on May 3, 2001, on the plaza leading to the newly renovated entrance of the Science Centre...The monumental tribute to Dr. Wilson is a massive, corroded steel ‘spike'...

"A GPS receiver was set up over the geodetic reference point in the base of the monument and for 24 hours
from 12:56 pm on the 7th July [1997] to 1:01 pm on the 8th July signals
from dozens of orbiting GPS satellites were tracked. To ensure
the highest degree of accuracy a perimeter of 5 m was secured
around the GPS station to keep curious visitors and vehicles
from interfering with the satellite signals. The coordinates of
the geodetic reference point (43°43’0.5061”N; 79°
20’18.7745”W) were then transcribed onto the steel spike and
the distinctive monument was secured in place above its reference point.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 18, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York. This page has been viewed 1,031 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 18, 2016, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.