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ANALYTICAL FACILITY RECEIVES CRITICAL FUNDING

UBC recently received a total of $2.6 million to fund a major expansion of our isotopic and geochemical analytical facilities. This funding comes from three sources, the Stuart Blusson gift to UBC and the Canadian Foundation for Innovations (both confirmed) and the BC Knowledge Development Fund (anticipated). Four new instruments will be purchased over the next year, including a laser Ar-Ar mass spectrometer, a new thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS), a laser ablation light stable isotope mass spectrometer, and a high resolution ICP- MS. The new Ar-Ar and TIMS instruments will allow us to greatly expand the range of geochronological research that can be undertaken at UBC. The laser ablation light stable isotope mass spectrometer will make it possible to do in situ analyses of extremely small mineral inclusions (such as within diamonds) and to examine fine scale isotopic zoning within individual minerals. The high resolution ICP-MS will be used mainly for very low level elemental analyses as well as reconnaissance level radiogenic isotope measurements. IM MORTENSENwill begin construction of a new clean laboratory and mass spectrometry laboratory shortly, with funding from UBC. The new instrumentation and laboratory facilities, together with existing equipment already at UBC, will form the "Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research", which will be a major regional analytical facility housed at UBC. A wide range of researchers from UBC, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, the University of Alberta, mining industry, and others from the geoscience community will be supported by the laboratory.

Blusson Profile

When the Ekati diamond mine opened with much to-do in the Northwest Territories, co-owner Chuck Fipke's name popped up
everywhere, but it was actually his partner, Stewart Blusson, a helicopter pilot with an eagle eye, who helped spot several diamond-rich rock formations in just one day two decades ago.

The pair met in 1969, when Blusson and another pilot were trying to rescue Fipke from the side of a mountain where he had been stranded for close to a week. After that, Fipke and Blusson became friends and prospecting partners. When the Ekati mine was divided among four main coowners, each man was left with a 10% stake. A university-trained geoscientist, Blusson is still prospecting for diamonds up north through his publicly traded Archon Minerals Ltd. Despite his appetite for adventure, Blusson keeps a low profile: he is known to take Vancouver public transit to company meetings, and last year, he tried to remain anonymous while giving a $50-million gift to his alma mater, the University of British Columbia.

Blusson's net worth in 2002 is said to be near $295 million. Blusson received B.Sc. from UBC in 1960, and his PhD at the University of California at Berkeley in 1964.