2026 CCFMS Blue Point Mine trip

Due to the successes of past trips to this amazing site, the CCFMS is planning to organize a two-day, weekend field trip to the Blue Point! The club is planning a trip for the weekend of July 4th and 5^th which will be open to ALL CCFMS Clubs.

Adult trip (18+):

While the Blue Point is a public business that welcomes all ages, the public is restricted to the blast piles, and not allowed into the mine itself.

The CCFMS club trip provides a unique opportunity to dig in the “restricted area”, the open pit/working mine. For legal reasons all attendees must be 18 years of age or older.

The mine is divided into two areas, the public blast piles where the public of all ages is welcome to dig, and the working mine itself, a private restricted area reserved only for clubs who organize and provide insurance

A small, non-refundable reservation fee of 25$ per person will be charged prior to July to reserve your spot on the trip and provide access into the mine (quarry) (see below or details).

The money collected from the reservation fees will go towards purchasing blasting materials for the club trip. The amount collected from the fees will be the total spend on “sticks” for the club blasts.

Family

Any persons under 18 who wish to come, need not register for the trip as they can attend the Blue Point as daily walk-ins and operate as ordinary members of the public. This means adults wishing to bring children need only register the adult members who will be entering the pit.

Members are welcome to bring children to enjoy the blast piles, but children must be supervised at all times and cannot be left alone in the piles while their guardians enter the open pit.

LOCATION:

The Blue Point Amethyst Mine is located in Shuniah, (Thunder Bay) Ontario and is the only Amethyst mine in all of Canada where insured clubs can organize trips into the working mine to dig for amethyst.

MINE (QUARRY) REQUIREMENTS:

Age: The “Restricted Area” has an age requirement of 18 years and older, any persons under 25 are required to show identification as proof of age. Anyone suspected to be under age, will not be allowed in without ID.

PPE: The restricted area also requires full PPE. No one will be permitted entrance into the mine without steel toe boots, a hardhat, reflective vest, and safety glasses.

Safety Talk: All attendees will be required to attend the safety talk Saturday morning at 9am. Anyone who is not present for the mine safety talk will not be permitted on the field trip into the “Restricted Area”.

Members who attend the safety talk are free to come and go as they please, 9am-5pm, on Saturday and Sunday

COSTS:

There is no entrance fee to the mine, and no minimum fee. Members will only be charged for, what they wish to take home with them

There are separate costs for digging in the Public Blast Piles, and for digging in the “Restricted Area” of the Open Pit Mine itself.

1. The Blast Piles are open to the public and people all ages, at a rate of $40 per level 2-gallon bucket.
2. The rate for material from the “Restricted Area” is on a sliding scale. Rock Hounds will show their removed material, which will be priced at half the retail value (with a minimum of $50 per level two-gallon bucket).

For example, a person who finds a large museum grade piece with a value of $1000 will be charged $500 to take home their find.

WHAT TO BRING:

1. Full PPE (steel toes, hard hat, reflective vest, safety glasses) ****Mine Access***
2. Containers and padding, to take home your digs
3. A four-pound (1-handed) sledge
4. A flat tip cold chisel with hand guard (heavy duty)
5. A large sledge for ambitious individuals
6. Short and Long pry bars
7. Bug spray/bug net hat
8. Food + drinks
9. Hot weather gear, hats, sunscreen etc.

WHERE TO STAY:

There are no accommodations at the mine and camping is not permitted on site, however visitors are recommended to check out the wonderful local businesses:

1. The Mirror Lake camp grounds are a 10-minute drive from the mine. They boast incredible prices, kind owners, and wet/dry/powered camp sites for both tents and trailers/RVs.
2. Black Bay Resort is 25 minutes away, and has cabins at a fantastic deal, as well as a number of tent/trailer sites, and a lakeside sauna.
3. Thunder Bay is a 45-minute drive from the mine, with numerous hotels and motels ranging from the inexpensive to high end.

THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA:

The Sleeping Giant park: a 52-kilometer Peninsula, featuring a 12km long stone Mesa formation with cliffs as high as 1200 feet. Over 100km of Hiking trails, with a 22km loop, and lookout climbs.

Kakabeka Falls: The second highest falls in Ontario, with a short walk and beautiful views of the gorge.

Ouimet Canyon: 500ft wide and thousands of feet long, the Ouimet Canyon has trails, boardwalks and viewing platforms. An isolated Arctic biome, it’s filled with Arctic flora and fauna usually 1000km north.

Eagle Adventure Park: In Eagle Canyon, it features Canada’s longest suspension bridge, and an over canyon zipline.

There are also numerous beaches, rock crops and areas to explore on your way north for agates and jasper and much more.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to: fieldtrips.ccfms@gmail.com

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Sincerely,

 Jordan Vivian – Owner and Operator, Blue Point Amethyst Mine