author
A. P. (Arthur Philemon) Coleman
1852–1939
A pioneering Canadian geologist and explorer, he helped shape early understanding of the country’s landscape while also writing vividly about the Rocky Mountains. His career joined field science, university teaching, and a strong sense of adventure.
1 Audiobook
Glaciers of the Rockies and Selkirks, 2nd. ed. With Notes on Five Great Glaciers of the Canadian National Parks
by A. P. (Arthur Philemon) Coleman
About the author
Born in Lachute, Quebec, in 1852, Arthur Philemon Coleman became one of Canada’s leading geologists and a longtime professor at the University of Toronto. He studied at Victoria University in Cobourg and later earned a doctorate at the University of Breslau before returning to Canada, where he built a distinguished academic career.
Coleman is especially remembered for his work on Canadian geology, including studies of glaciers, the Precambrian Shield, and the structure of the Great Lakes region. He was also an active explorer and mountaineer, and his travels in the Rockies fed into his well-known book The Canadian Rockies: New and Old Trails, which helped introduce those mountains to a wider reading public.
Beyond his scientific research, he was respected as a teacher, writer, and public figure in Canadian science. His legacy rests on both careful fieldwork and a gift for bringing wild landscapes to life for readers.