What on earth is my snow machine made of?

It has been a cold winter across northern Ontario, but not cold enough to keep people off their snow machines.
Snow machines were invented to meet an important winter need — to transport people and supplies during the winter.
Early designs were based on a Ford Model T truck equipped with front skis and a track. Other well- known snow machines were the Bombardier snow bus or the Nodwell. They were large and carried several people.
I have heard stories from Elders in Fort Hope and other Far North communities about the first Nodwells that were owned by First Nation people. In the 1950s, snow-machine sleds became smaller and carried one or two people. These early smaller gas-engine-powered machines still weighed over 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) and had a top speed of only 30 km/h (20 mph). They towed a sled and travelled at moderate speeds depending on snow conditions, the roughness of the land, and the presence of brush and trees. Many people remember the Bomdardier Elan, introduced in the 1970s, and say it was one of the best snow machines for the bush because of its simple, but strong design. Today, in addition to its practical uses, snow machines are also made for recreational and competitive uses.
When you look at a snow machine you might see colour, power, or a tool to haul wood from the bush and fish from nets. I see that too, but I also see a pile of rock. Yes, snow machines are made of metals and other resources that come from the Earth.
The windshield is made of a type of plastic (polycarbonate) and some skis are made of polyethylene. Polycarbonate is strong and polyethylene is durable and slides across the snow.
The seat is made of vinyl because it is a type of plastic, made from ethylene (found in crude oil) and chlorine (found in regular salt), that remains soft and strong at cold temperatures. Polycarbonate and polyethylene also are made from crude oil — a resource that comes from the Earth!
The light bulbs are made of several metals. Boron is mixed with silica to make the glass lens on the halogen headlight bulbs. The silica comes from the common mineral quartz. Tungsten, which comes from the mineral scheelite, does not melt easily and so it is used to make the parts inside the light bulb that glow to make the light. Silica is also used to make fiberglass, which makes the engine cover on many snow machines.
The spark plug is made of the metals zinc, iridium, copper, chromium, and ceramics. Zinc comes from the mineral sphalerite and, when combined with chromium, it makes a coating that keeps the spark plug strong. Iridium is a rare precious metal that is used to coat the electrical contacts on the spark plug. That coating is rust resistant. Copper is used to make electrical wires. The white insulation on the spark plug contains aluminum, quartz, and minerals such as kyanite and andalusite mixed to make a ceramic material. The spark plug’s metal ingredients occur across northern Ontario. Zinc is mined in Timmins. Iridium comes from the nickel and copper mined in Sudbury. Copper occurs in Timmins, Sudbury and the Ring of Fire while a large deposit of chromite has also been discovered in the Ring of Fire.
The gasoline engine contains nickel, aluminum, and iron. Nickel is used to make the exhaust systems, thermostats, spark plugs, gears, and drive shafts. Nickel is mined in the Sudbury area and nickel minerals occur in the Ring of Fire area. Aluminum, light-weight and strong, is ideal to make the snowmobile chassis. Aluminum comes from the mineral bauxite, which is mined in warm tropical areas of the world. Iron is used to make parts of the chassis, engine, brakes, clutch, starter, generator, exhaust system, and gearbox. Iron comes from the minerals hematite and magnetite, which used to be mined near the Red Lake, Temagami, Wawa, and Kirkland Lake areas. The oil and grease lubricants necessary to keep the engine working smoothly contain the mineral molybdenum.
The battery is made of lead, which comes from the mineral galena. Galena is mined near Timmins. In Canada, a lot of lead is recycled from old batteries.
The springs that make the ride smoother are made of several metals, including nickel, zirconium, titanium, and vanadium. Zirconium comes from the mineral zircon. Titanium comes from the mineral ilmenite and vanadium occurs in small amounts in oil and the mineral vanadinite.
The rubber track and the gasoline used to run the snow machine engine both come from crude oil found deep in the Earth. Southern Ontario has a small crude oil and natural gas industry. In fact, the first oil industry in North America started in the southern Ontario town of Petrolia where commercial quantities of oil were discovered in 1866.
So, the next time you look at a snow machine, you may see colour, power, and a tool to haul wood and fish or transportation along a trap line. But perhaps now you also see that pile of rock. Yes, snow machines are made of metals, oil and gas — important resources that are hidden in the Earth. Some of these materials are actually mined in the Ontario beneath our feet. The next time you look at a geology map provided by MNDM’s Ontario Geological Survey, can you identify where those Earth resources came from or where they may still remain hidden?
For more information about the metals that make up a snow machine, take a look at the poster prepared by Mining Matters, an organization dedicated to sharing geology knowledge: http://bit.ly/1cc30wL.