Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Barrie, together with the Huron-Wendat Nation and the Williams Treaty First Nation communities, is making further progress on the archaeological study of the historic Allandale Station lands.
As the Stage 4 archaeology study continues, the city and partners are beginning further assessment and burial site investigation.
Work has recently begun to start mechanical trenching and screening of soil from the trenches located in the north and northwest of the station buildings. This will help identify the limits of any human remains in the area. The Huron-Wendat Nation are supportive of this strategy and consistent with prior phases of the work, have assigned a monitor to assist with the fieldwork. The Williams Treaty First Nation have been advised of this work as well.
Mechanical trenching means that heavy equipment will be used, but all soil will still be screened for any artifacts or remains. This work will take approximately four weeks. As always, First Nations partners are given the opportunity to monitor the activity at the site and provide guidance.
AECOM’s archaeological involvement at the Allandale Station site began in 2016 as a continuation of the previous archaeological work conducted by AMICK Consultants Ltd in 2011 and 2012 and to satisfy the requirements of the burial site Investigation Order (R.S.O 2002, c. 33, s.96) issued by the Registrar of Cemeteries for the Province of Ontario, Michael D’Mello (now the Registrar of Burials – Nancy Watkins).
During AECOMs Stage 2/3 investigation in July 2017, additional human remains were recovered and reported to the Registrar of Burials as part of the open Investigation Order on file with the Registrar of Burials (Ministry of Government and Consumer Services).
In order to complete the burial site investigation and satisfy the requirements of the Funeral, Burials and Cremation Services Act, further archaeological work must be conducted in order to identify and remove all interred individuals and to determine the extent, nature, and origin of the burial site, and the population affiliation of the individuals recovered from the site.
Once this work is completed and is found to satisfy O. Reg. 30/11, s. 174, Division C, it is expected that the Registrar of Burials will issue a site Declaration, a Site Disposition Agreement will be negotiated, and the burial site Investigation Order can be closed.
For more information about the project, visit barrie.ca/Living/projects.