Alan C Grant
Alan Carson Grant Grant, Alan Carson, August 21, 1933 -June 14, 2012. BA (geology), Acadia University; BSc, Dalhousie University (1963); MSc, University of New Brunswick; PhD, Dalhousie University (1971); Doctorate of laws, honoris causa , Dalhousie University. Dr. Grant was a marine geologist and geophysicist whose career spanned more than 40 years. Known as a pre-eminent authority on the geology of the East Coast offshore area, Dr. Grant provided a crucial link between industry and the academic world. A leader in his field, a mentor to a generation of geoscientists and an accomplished writer and researcher, Dr. Grant left an indelible mark on the region he called home. Dr. Grant is a prime example of a Nova Scotia boy who made good. Born outside the town of Pictou, he went to school in a one-room schoolhouse before attending Pictou Academy. After receiving his BA -- and the University Medal in Geology -- from Acadia University in 1955, he worked as a geophysicist for Mobil Oil on seismic crews in Alberta and Saskatchewan. In the 1960s, when geological studies expanded to explore what lies beneath the ocean floor, the Bedford Institute of Oceanography (BIO) was established and Dr. Grant knew he wanted to come home to be part of the discovery. He returned to academic study at Dalhousie where he completed his BSc in 1963, followed by an MSc from the University of New Brunswick in 1965. That year he began working for the Geological Survey of Canada at BIO, doing extensive research on the continental shelf off Labrador and Newfoundland. Later, he returned to Dalhousie where he earned a PhD in 1971. Dr. Grant's career accomplishments have been recognized through numerous awards -- the M.J. Keen Medal of the Geological Association of Canada, the Robert JW Douglas Award of the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and the degree, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, bestowed on him by Dalhousie University in 2006. Alan was well-liked by everyone. He was known for his terrible puns, a dry sense of humour, his creative stone carvings and for playing the harmonica badly with great enthusiasm. He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his children, Dana Bourgeois (Andre), Gore, NS; Tim, Vancouver, BC; granddaughter, Maddie Davis, Gore and Halifax; His brothers, Donald (Viola), Ottawa; Malcolm (Marilyn), Vernon, BC; and several nieces and nephews. Special thanks are extended to Janet Oxon and the staff at The Adelaide Respite Inn, Waverley, NS. |