By Rose Willigar
The Record
PARRSBORO – For rockhounders like Fred Walsh, attending Fundy Geolical Museum’s annual Gem and Mineral Show is like coming home.
Walsh is with the Nova Scotia Prospector Association and although he has scoured the beaches of Parrsboro’s shoreline for 30 years he is one of the new faces at the Gem and Mineral Show, which was held over the weekend.
“Collecting rocks has been a hobby of mine since I was eight years-old,” the geologist said.
Graduating from university with a masters in geology Walsh says identifying minerals is what he loves to do.
“Everything is made up of minerals, most people just don’t realize it and there are numerous kinds of minerals, too many to count,” Walsh said when asked if he could put a number on the various types of minerals found in the Parrsboro region.
Walsh explained there are three types of rocks; igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary. Out of those three there are thousands of varieties.
“To put a number on the amount of minerals in our region would take awhile,” Carol Corbett co-organizer of the gem show says.
Walsh said the vast varieties of colours, from blues, to blacks, to greens, purples, the minerals found in this region is like a colour explosion.
Hosting a clinic at this year's show to teach people how panning for gold is done, Walsh says the annual event is a chance for him to connect with like-minded folks who appreciate the building-blocks of the Fundy Shore.
“The people love to see it and I love coming here. I love the people, I love the place, lots of good people in the area and coming to the gem show is almost like coming home. Everyone knows everybody, it’s a great atmosphere,” Walsh said.
