George Mercer Dawson CMG FRS FRSC (August 1, 1849 – March 2, 1901) was a Canadian geologist and surveyor.

The result was the 387-page Report on the Geology and Resources of the Region in the Vicinity of the Forty-Ninth parallel from the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Mountains, which established Dawson's reputation as a respected scientist.

As a result of his field research, a map of his work was published in 1886 covering the Canadian Rockies from the US border to the Red Deer River Valley and Kicking Horse Pass.

In addition to his geological work, Dawson was keenly interested in the languages and cultures of the First Nations peoples he met in his travels.

McConnell exploring northern British Columbia and the headwaters of the Yukon River, during which they made an arduous circuit by separate routes, on foot and by boat, of an area of 63,200 square miles (164,000 km2), which had been previously unknown except for First Nations accounts and those of a few prospectors.

He also lobbied the government tirelessly to secure funding for a more suitable building to house the GSC's museum and scientific staff.

This funding was granted just one month before his unexpected death in Ottawa on March 2, 1901, after a one-day bout with acute bronchitis.