Stonewall Quarry Park - Take a Walk Through History

Interested in the park and the quarries history? Why not stop and take a look at all of the different historical places within the park. You can also find multiple information signs throughout the trails. 

Kilns- The Kilns are essentially giant ovens that cook limestone rock into a powder like substance. The draw Kilns that are standing in the park today, were built in 1905 to replace the pot kilns that had been used since 1880. These draw kilns were much more efficient than the pot kilns as they could do the work in 1 day compared to the 7 days that it took the pot kilns to cook the limestone rock into powder. *For more information about the kilns please see the section on the Kilns under "Museum & Heritage".

Red Pit or the "Pit of Doom"- It is called the Pit of Doom for one very significant reason. This test pit is the reason the quarry had to close and was no longer a viable source for limestone and powder production. When they had originally quarried the whole area they could not go further outside the quarry as the town was on one side, the highway on another and the railway, so they had to try and go deeper. The red pit was a testing site to see if they could do that. Unfortunately, after the blast all of the red rock that you see around the pit was discovered. The red colour is due to iron in the rock. If you were to cook rocks with iron, inside the kilns they would explode. The decision was then made to close the quarry and turn it into a park. Fossil samples can be located in the walls of the Red Pit. 

Slag Pile- "Slag" is the product you get when limestone is not cooked properly. The slag pile may look like a lot of waste, however the kilns were in operation for 63 years and in that timeframe one million tons of lime powder was produced.

Glacial Striations- Thousands of years ago, during the last ice age, Manitoba was completely covered in a thick layer of ice. A glacier moved through this area, creating smooth surfaces on some of the limestone as it scraped along the rock. The glacier dropped some of the granite rock pieces/boulders that were previously embedded in the glacier. All of the granite that you see in the park today was left here by the glacier. 

The Flats- A spur line ran from this side of the quarry to the quarry across the highway. Winnipeg Fuel & Supply operated on both sides. 

The Natural Bluff- The site was originally left untouched as there was a hydro pole on top, providing power to the quarry. When the quarry was turned into a park the area was left as it is to show the natural layers that were previously in the park before they started blasting the area to obtain the limestone. There are three distinct layers to the natural bluff including; top soil, glacial till and then the limestone layer. The bluff shows how many layers the workers had to go through before they were able to get to the limestone. 

Dynamite Shack- The shack was built at the edge of the quarry to keep the workers safe. The building was constructed of stone, with a detached wooden roof incase of an accident the roof would instead "pop" off, opposed to shattering into fragments that could potentially harm the workers. 

Black Duck (First Nations)- In 800-1700 AD, the First Nations tribe known as "Black Duck" came to this area to hunt Bison which they used for tools (bone), shelter (hides), clothing and food. The Black Duck culture followed the bison herds where ever they roamed. Today, not much is known about the mighty tribe, other than a few fragments of pottery that was left behind. There are no longer any wild Bison in the area. As Archeologists didn't know a lot about this culture, they named the tribe Black Duck after the pottery fragments that were retrieved. 

Fossil Hunting- The park is full of fossils from the Ordovician Period. Some can be seen in the walls and ground of rock walls, while others can be found laying on the ground. Feel free to keep any loose fossils that you find! Cephalopods, brachiopods, trilobites, crinoids and gastropods are just some of the types that you can find in the park. Keep an eye out for rocks that appear purple as they are often full of fossils.

Jimm's Hill- Is named after Jimm Simon. As member of the Stonewall community, Jimm has lived in Stonewall most of his life and has greatly impacted community development in various areas including the formation of Quarry Park and Community Living. Jimm is now the Executive Director of the Interlake Community Foundation. 

Wishing Well- Donated by the Kinsmen Club of Stonewall Chartered 1947