You'll find lots of Trilobites (Pseudogygites Latimarginatus) and brachiopods (mucrospirifer) just about anywhere you look in southern Ontario. Keep an eye out for shale piles left by construction, or if you're driving around in rural areas look for road cuts through sedimentary layers, the layers are exposed at the side of the road and you can easily find exposed fossils there. You'll need tools and safety equipment: a standard builder's hard hat is the minimum that should be worn in areas that are liable to falling rocks, especially cliff faces and within quarries, a high visibility jacket will improve your chances in case of an accident. Pick up a geological hammer if you don't have one. It's got a square head on one side, and a chisel tip on the other side. Useful for splitting the layers. Also, safety glasses are essential. You don't want to get a rock splinter in your eye. There's a more comprehensive tool list here "Most of Ontario's fossil record is found in the Paleozoic rocks that cover much of southern Ontario and the James Bay Lowlands. These rocks were deposited during the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods (450-350 million years ago) when Ontario was repeatedly covered by warm, shallow inland seas. The seas were fed by rivers draining from the bordering highlands of the Canadian Shield and acted as settling basins for thousands of meters of sand, mud, and clay. Eastern and northern boundaries of Paleozoic outcrop run roughly through the southern borders of Muskoka and Haliburton just east of Kingston (where Ordovician rocks lap onto Precambrian rocks). Ordovician rocks here abound with fossil snails, clams, squid-like nautiloids, trilobites, starfish, and sea lilies. Late Ordovician and Silurian rocks form the Niagara escarpment that runs from Manitoulin Island to the Niagara Peninsula and on into New York State. The escarpment was formed by rivers draining highlands to southeast. Fossils are scarce here. Silurian corals formed reefs that are now exposed as fossils on Manitoulin Island. Devonian rocks on shore of Lake Huron near Kettle Point contain abundant corals and trilobites, sea lilies and other marine invertebrates. Even the bony skin plates of early armored fish have occasionally been found. Unconsolidated deposits of Pleistocene Epoch are the next great chapter in Ontario's fossils. One of the most complete successions of interglacial sediment is exposed in Toronto Brick Pit. Fossils found here include wood, insects, freshwater clams and snails, antlers of deer, skulls of large bears, groundhogs, bison and giant beaver. Near Welland mastodons, wooly elephants, and pollen grains have been found." Ontario's Fossil Story By: Kristina Anderson, assistant curator Answer from 248_RPA on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askto › tips for beginner fossil hunting in toronto and area?
r/askTO on Reddit: Tips for beginner fossil hunting in Toronto and area?
July 4, 2017 -
Someone experienced was supposed to take me fossil hunting but that fell through.
They said it's not too hard to find stuff.
I'm looking for locations and tips.
Top answer 1 of 3
3
Easiest is to find some shale by the lake and start breaking pieces open. You can find small plants and trilobite looking things. I've had decent luck on the rocky beaches in Whitby, with a 5% hit rate or so, maybe a little lower.
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You'll find lots of Trilobites (Pseudogygites Latimarginatus) and brachiopods (mucrospirifer) just about anywhere you look in southern Ontario. Keep an eye out for shale piles left by construction, or if you're driving around in rural areas look for road cuts through sedimentary layers, the layers are exposed at the side of the road and you can easily find exposed fossils there. You'll need tools and safety equipment: a standard builder's hard hat is the minimum that should be worn in areas that are liable to falling rocks, especially cliff faces and within quarries, a high visibility jacket will improve your chances in case of an accident. Pick up a geological hammer if you don't have one. It's got a square head on one side, and a chisel tip on the other side. Useful for splitting the layers. Also, safety glasses are essential. You don't want to get a rock splinter in your eye. There's a more comprehensive tool list here "Most of Ontario's fossil record is found in the Paleozoic rocks that cover much of southern Ontario and the James Bay Lowlands. These rocks were deposited during the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods (450-350 million years ago) when Ontario was repeatedly covered by warm, shallow inland seas. The seas were fed by rivers draining from the bordering highlands of the Canadian Shield and acted as settling basins for thousands of meters of sand, mud, and clay. Eastern and northern boundaries of Paleozoic outcrop run roughly through the southern borders of Muskoka and Haliburton just east of Kingston (where Ordovician rocks lap onto Precambrian rocks). Ordovician rocks here abound with fossil snails, clams, squid-like nautiloids, trilobites, starfish, and sea lilies. Late Ordovician and Silurian rocks form the Niagara escarpment that runs from Manitoulin Island to the Niagara Peninsula and on into New York State. The escarpment was formed by rivers draining highlands to southeast. Fossils are scarce here. Silurian corals formed reefs that are now exposed as fossils on Manitoulin Island. Devonian rocks on shore of Lake Huron near Kettle Point contain abundant corals and trilobites, sea lilies and other marine invertebrates. Even the bony skin plates of early armored fish have occasionally been found. Unconsolidated deposits of Pleistocene Epoch are the next great chapter in Ontario's fossils. One of the most complete successions of interglacial sediment is exposed in Toronto Brick Pit. Fossils found here include wood, insects, freshwater clams and snails, antlers of deer, skulls of large bears, groundhogs, bison and giant beaver. Near Welland mastodons, wooly elephants, and pollen grains have been found." Ontario's Fossil Story By: Kristina Anderson, assistant curator
Videos
Cottage Life
cottagelife.com › home › latest › 4 places in ontario for top notch fossil hunting
4 places in Ontario for top notch fossil hunting - Cottage Life
April 24, 2024 - There are also exposed layers of limestone along the shore of Georgian Bay nearby. You’ll need a small hammer, a cold chisel, and protective glasses. Unless you plan to make this a hobby, don’t waste money on an expensive mason’s hammer. West of Collingwood, oil shales covered with fragments of trilobites and sometimes complete specimens are exposed in stream cuts starting at the old Craigleith railway station and extending west to Georgian Peaks. Fossil collecting is not allowed in Craigleith Provincial Park or any other municipal, provincial, or national park, but there are some exposures of Ordovician black shale nearby along the highway.
The Globe and Mail
theglobeandmail.com › toronto › life › toronto’s fossil hunters are unearthing the history of the city
Toronto’s fossil hunters are unearthing the history of the city - The Globe and Mail
October 5, 2023 - So without amateurs and avocational collectors going on and finding this material, we would never see it all.” · Looking to start fossil hunting? Here are some popular sites around the country. Be sure to check with provincial authorities first as some provinces require permits to collect fossils. Toronto’s Mimico Creek: In this offshoot of the Humber River, you can find molluscs, crinoids, bryozoans, corals and even trilobites by digging in the bends where sediment and loose gravel accumulate.
University of Waterloo
uwaterloo.ca › earth-sciences-museum › educational-resources › fossils › paleozoic-fossils-ontario
Paleozoic fossils in Ontario | Earth Sciences Museum | University of Waterloo
November 6, 2024 - Thus, the Quaternary glacial deposits dating back several hundred thousand years rests, like a mantle directly on top of the eroded paleozoic rocks. Although some Precambrian fossils such as stromatolites can be found in northern Ontario in the Canadian Shield, most of the fossils in Ontario recorded life beneath the shallow seas in the Paleozoic Era. On Manitoulin Island, Silurian corals formed reefs that are now exposed at the surface as fossils, and on the shore of Lake Huron near Kettle Point, there are abundant corals, trilobites, sea lilies and other marine invertebrates that can be found.
Fossil
stores.fossil.com › index › on
Fossil Store locations in Toronto, On | Fossil Watches, Wallets, Bags & Accessories
Read more about store reopenings and retail updates ... Toronto Eaton Centre 220 Yonge St. 220 Yonge St., Toronto Eaton Centre Toronto, ON M5B 2H1 CA ... Curious about what’s new at Fossil?
McGill University
mcgill.ca › redpath › files › redpath › fossil.sites.pdf pdf
Twenty Fossil Sites Near Montreal
fifty blocks of fossils here. Elevation: 36 feet. N 45°40,375', W 073°32,578'. 11. Parc René Labrosse. 4 Place de l’église/Notre-Dame, (near St-Octave church). This location is easy to get to,
Creationresearchontario
creationresearchontario.com › fossil-trips.html
FOSSIL TRIPS - The Creation Research Museum of Ontario
Introduction to the site by Martin Legemaate. Clare Dederer identifying her fossil finds from the sheet. Hamilton Area · Fossil trip with Brampton Christian Family Church. Daniel Gibson comes home with an interesting stromatoporoid specimen. Toronto Area · School fossil trip studying the Georgian Bay Formation Shale.
Tourism Nova Scotia
novascotia.com › home › explore nova scotia › outdoor activities & tours › fossils
Fossils - Tourism Nova Scotia
November 29, 2024 - The Bay of Fundy and Annapolis Valley region is home to some of the province’s earliest recorded history, from the fossils of prehistoric creatures…
Wichita Mom
wichitamom.com › home › where to take kids hunting for shells & fossils in kansas
Where to Take Kids Hunting for Shells & Fossils in Kansas
April 26, 2025 - From Wichita, the locations of shells and fossils are closer than you’d think. For a quick trip, find a building downtown, house in your neighborhood or a landscaping store and check out their limestone for sea life…could be in your own backyard! Happy hunting! I would also recommend going down near the Cowley County waterfall.
Fossilspot
fossilspot.com › STATES › ON.HTM
Ontario Fossil Sites
Version 0810 current as of OCT 2008 · Back to States INDEX
The Fossil Forum
thefossilforum.com › fossil discussion › questions & answers
What kind of fossils can you find in Toronto, Canada? - Questions & Answers - The Fossil Forum
August 12, 2024 - Hey, im a upcoming undergrad moving to Canada at the Univeristy of Waterloo in Toronto. Up till 6th grade, I lived in India, and then moved back to New Jersey (where I was born) for one year. In that year, I went to the Big Brook preseve and a few other locations where I found awesome things by s...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/ontario › where can i go to find fossils?
r/ontario on Reddit: Where can I go to find fossils?
September 30, 2021 -
I remember finding and collecting fossils as a kid, and it was so much fun! I’d like to relive that.
If any of you guys know good places in Ontario, around Toronto/Durham, to find fossils please let me know!!
Top answer 1 of 10
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Parliament Hill. Specifically the Senate Chamber.
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You should look through the shale and limestone on the Bruce Penninsula. I've started taking a real interest in the geology and geomorphology of ontario, and it's crazy what used to be here. It's worth nothing that I don't believe you're going to find anything much more complicated than old coral, trilobites etc around here. The sedimentary rocks here are mostly from the Silurian and Orovician period, deposits from the Devonian periods and more recent would have been mostly removed by glacial forces during the Wisconsin Glaciation and deposited further south in the till. Apparently the southern shore of Lake Ontario is pretty good. You can find free geological maps from the Ontario Geological Survey to help find sedimentary rock outcrops that are likely to hold fossils.