Robert Bell 1841-1917

Born near Toronto, Bell began a long career with the Geological Society of Canada as a summer student when he was only 15. In 1867, after university studies and a period of teaching at Queen's, he joined the Survey on a full-time basis and remained until 1908. During this time he became one of Canada's leading explorers, conducting extensive surveys in northern Canada, particularly in the Canadian Shield, from which he produced original maps and reports on a wide variety of subjects. He was a founding member of the Royal Society of Canada and from 1901 to 1906 served as acting director of the Geological Society.