Francon quarry

The Francon quarry is located at 3701 Rue Jarry Est, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, in the Arrondissement de Villeray--Saint-Michel--Parc-Extension, with coordinates approximately 45°34'20" N, 73°36'50" W. It's in a residential area, making it surprisingly urban for a mineral site. Nearby, the Lafarge Montreal East quarry is 8 km northeast, and it's part of the mineral-rich Monteregian Hills, including Mont St-Hilaire.

This quarry is a treasure for enthusiasts, with 81 valid minerals, including 10 type localities like Weloganite, a rare zirconium carbonate with large, well-formed crystals. Other notable ones are Dawsonite and Nannoniite, the latter being the world's best locality for this scarce species.

It's primarily a limestone quarry with phonolite sills, igneous rocks altered by carbonatization, forming cavities rich in rare minerals, not found in the limestone itself.

Started in 1914, it was operated by various companies until 1981, used for limestone extraction for roads and cement, becoming famous for minerals in 1966 when discovered by Ann P. Sabina. It's now inactive, used for snow dumping.

In Montréal, known for festivals, the quarry is currently a snow dump, with community ideas to repurpose it, like parks, reflecting local engagement.

Montréal has cold, snowy winters and warm summers. The quarry, used for snow dumping, has a lake from dirty snow and mature trees, showing some ecological adaptation.