Flat Farmland, Hidden Diamonds, and a Rift Valley
Driving north on Highway 11, the sudden stretch of flat, fertile farmland around New Liskeard might make you feel like you’ve left Northern Ontario behind. This unexpected landscape, known as the “Little Clay Belt,” stands in stark contrast to the rugged Canadian Shield. The city of Temiskaming Shores—including New Liskeard and Haileybury—sits beside this unusual terrain, shaped by unique geological forces.
This GeoTour guide takes you to a scenic viewpoint, two lakeside parks on Lake Timiskaming, and an impressive rock garden. Together, these sites reveal the story of a shifting rift valley, past earthquakes, a modern hunt for diamonds, and fossilized remnants of an ancient sea floor.
This content is based on the publication Temiskaming Shores: Flat Farmland, Diamonds, and a Rift Valley from the GeoTours Northern Ontario series.
Authors: Marianne Quat and Bob Turner (Natural Resources Canada), Ruth Debicki (Ontario Geological Survey), Phil Thurston (Laurentian University).
Acknowledgments:
- Technical Editing: Marg Rutka (Ontario Geological Survey)
- Review: Christine Hutton (Natural Resources Canada), Tom Watkins (Ontario Geological Survey)
- Graphic Layout: Ashley Hubert (Ontario Geological Survey)
- Graphic Illustration: Richard Franklin
- Research Assistance: Gary Grabowski (Ontario Geological Survey)
This material is © Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2015, and © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2015. It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with proper credit. For commercial use, please contact the Ontario Geological Survey.