Provincial geologist awarded national medal

Ed Byrne, Minister of Natural Resources, is pleased to announce that Dr. Ian Knight of the Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador, a division of the Department of Natural Resources, is this year�s recipient of the National Provincial Geologists Medal. The citation was presented recently during the Annual Canadian Mines and Energy Ministers meeting in Iqualuit, Nunavut.

The Provincial Geologists Medal was created in 1999 to recognize outstanding work in one of Canada�s provincial or territorial Geological Surveys. An external national selection committee representing industry, academia and government chooses the recipient from the pool of nominees.

Dr. Knight is a project geologist who has worked with the Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador for 30 years. He received his B.Sc. from Bristol University in Britain and his Ph.D. from Memorial University of Newfoundland. His interest in sedimentary rock was stimulated by field studies as a geological assistant in central east Greenland during the summers of 1968 and 1969 with the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge University. The primary focus of the expedition was the examination of the Devonian Basin, a project led by Dr. Peter Friend. Dr. Knight also studied the cyclic peritidal carbonate rocks of the Limestone-dolomite Series of the Eleonore Bay Group for his B.Sc. Honours dissertation at Bristol. This was followed by M.Sc. and Ph.D. studies at Memorial University on proterozoic sedimentary and volcanic sequences of the Seal Lake and Ramah groups of Labrador and carboniferous rocks of Western Newfoundland.

Dr. Knight�s maps and reports are legendary for their detail, objectivity and accuracy. He reads the rocks like a book with a sharp eye for the smallest detail and his encyclopedic knowledge of western Newfoundland has made him an invaluable source for the petroleum industry. Recognizing his work as exceptional and indispensable to exploration, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists presented Dr. Knight with the R.J.W. Douglas Medal for 2000, the society�s award of excellence for outstanding contributions to the understanding of sedimentary geology in Canada.

"I offer sincere congratulations to Dr. Knight for this significant accomplishment," said Minister Byrne. "Dr. Knight is certainly deserving of this distinction because of his tireless dedication, energy and devotion, his superior talent for geological observation, and his personal and scientific integrity."

Minister Byrne also stated that the fact that Dr. Knight is the third geologist from the province�s Department of Natural Resources to be a recipient of this national award is indicative of the highly-skilled and competent professionals working within the province�s public service. The previous provincial winners of this national award are Bruce Ryan and Sean O�Brien.

Media contact: Carmel Turpin, Communications, (709) 729-5282

2004 08 17                                       11:20 a.m.