A Flawed Archaeology Study approved by Mayor Jim Watson
The Province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa are equally allowing an inferior Archaeological Assessment Report to destroy an area which may be the oldest known site in Ontario and an area of importance to the Algonquin. 3 Sites here are known to exist by Councillor Marianne Wilkinson. Noted Archaeologist Robert McGhee (who in 2000 was awarded the Massey Medal of the Canadian Geographic Society). Robert McGhee also stated in his letter to the City of Ottawa:
“I consider the report [the one approved by the Province and accepted by the City] to be clearly inadequate in its dismissal of the archaeological potential of the upland regions of the area under consideration. In fact, a basic knowledge of the physiographic history of the local region should have made it apparent that these are the regions most likely to have archaeological potential for preservation of important sites related to the earliest postglacial occupations of the Ottawa Valley area”
16,204 Artifacts were noted in the Study done just a few hundred meters from this forest. Yet this was ignored and we’ve lost that history to clear-cutting underway and new homes.
Further Study here is Warranted...
...before it’s too late...and the City or the Province can halt the tree cutting until spring.
History of the Region
Approx. 10,000 to 11,000 years ago, the Champlain Sea revealed the South March Highlands (also known as the Carp Ridge) as an island. From Robert McGhee’s Report:
“During this period the Carp Ridge emerged as a series of rocky islands paralleling the southern shore of the sea. These islands were separated from one another and from the shore by narrow channels through which tidal currents, together with those of melt water flowing from the nearby mouth of the Ottawa River, would have produced turbulent mixing of fresh and salt water as well as inhibiting the formation of winter ice. Polynia conditions such as these are very productive locales in Arctic waters, attracting both sea mammals and their human predators.”
Archaeological Details
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For expediency, we have listed the details of the files from an
on-line website which has been collecting this data for a long
time. Select “Archaeology” from this web page
www.renaud.ca/public/ Other materials of the issues are
within that public file. -
Archaeologist Robert McGhee’s, debunking the developers study is located HERE
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In the Forest Site just a few hundred meters west of the Beaver Pond Forest in a similar altitude, (which would have shared the shoreline of the east side of the small island in the picture below), the Archaeology Report referred to by Mr. McGhee stated detailed 16,204 artifacts in the test pits (with 9 pages of pictures) and recommended a Stage 3, Stage 4 and Stage 3/4 Archaeological Study before construction could begin. I was told that the developer fired this archaeologist and hired a new one.
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That report has been provided to the City of Ottawa.
This image was taken from noted Archaeologist Robert McGhee , who in 2000 was awarded the Massey Medal of the Canadian Geographic Society. His report was in the form of a letter to the City of Ottawa dated August 6th, 2010, which was virtually ignored as no request to ask the Province to require a new Assessment was made.
See link above.
Stone Circles
The Video (below) of the Stone Circles found within the Beaver Pond Forest is here. The video was thought to be of the same site where Councillor Marianne Wilkinson had been shown what are thought to be directional markers in a rock formation.
The video was sent to Ms. Wilkinson, and she immediately stated it was not the same marker.
When this video was presented to a Parks Canada employee with first hand experience and with knowledge about this type of formation in the video, he stated it warrants investigation.
The point here is this. If an archaeological report identifies 16,204 items that have been found a few hundred meters away from this forest (the City is in possession of this document), and if 2 to 3 tons of artifacts were removed with potentially human remains on another part of this pre-contact island, it would be prudent to consider the fact that the remaining highlands warrant further significant investigation.
The City, as a proponent to the development, has the authority to invoke a clause requiring further study based on new information. This previous study and this video provides the justification. The City of Ottawa has refused.
Consider these facts...
1: From Robert McGhee’s Report...
“The area of the proposed development is physiographically equivalent to the nearby Broughton Lands (Part of Lot 5, Concession 1, March Township) where Swayze (2005, 2009) recovered convincing evidence of a significant Early Archaic occupation along shorelines of the recessional Champlain Sea. This is, in fact, the earliest known evidence of occupation in Eastern Ontario.”
2: The Swayze Report from 2005, 2009 (and the report recently received outlining the 16,204 items) are possibly new information to the City of Ottawa. Let’s at least hope so. With this new information, the City has the authority to use this new information to request that no tree cutting be allowed and that a new Archaeology Assessment be done.
3: The proof of what is now possibly the second site in the Beaver Pond Forest should be enough to warrant a new study? The first one was known as a potential site, and now this second one.
What you can do.
Send this EMAIL out to these people.
Call or Email these people today.
Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa,
Jim.Watson@ottawa.ca
Phone 613-580-2946
Fax 613-580-2509
Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario and MPP for Ottawa, dmcguinty.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Michael Chan, Ontario Minister of Culture, mchan.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Peter Evans, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister for Culture, Peter.Evans@ontario.ca
Chris Bentley, Ontario Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, cbentley.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Gordon O’Connor, Federal Cabinet Minister and MP for Kanata, oconng@parl.gc.ca
Norm Sterling, MPP for Kanata, norm.sterlingco@pc.ola
I am writing to you to bring to your attention the urgent need for the Crown
to fulfill its constitutional duty to consult with Aboriginal people prior
to allowing KNL Developments to clear cut in the ecologically and
archaeologically sensitive South March Highlands in Kanata.
To-date the City of Ottawa is relying on an out-dated archaeological
assessment approved by the Ontario Ministry of Culture in 2004. Under KNL's
Condition 86 of subdivision approval, and in accordance with the Planning
Act, the City may reasonably request that any study be redone if they have a
reasonable basis for doing so. Condition 57 specifically requires KNL to
perform an Archaeological Assessment - to the satisfaction of the City - as
well as to the satisfaction of the MTC. It also requires that "no
demolition, grading or other disturbances shall take place until any
archaeological resource conservation concerns have been addressed."
It is evident that a reasonable basis exists in light of all the NEW
evidence that has surfaced since KNL's original study was done in 2004:
1. Discovery of a significant find by Ken Swayze less than 1 km away
Richardson Ridge in 2006 that was refuted by the developer and is currently
being disputed in court. This site was previously confirmed as 10,000 years
old by Dr. Muller-Beck, Professor Emeritus of Paleohistory and Archaeology
of Hunting Cultures, when he visited the site in 2007;
2. Scientific discrediting of the thoroughness of the KNL study
provided by Dr. McGhee, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and past
president Canadian Archaeological Association, in June 2010. The MTC has
expressed no opinion on this review;
3. Aboriginal declaration in August 2010 by the most senior Algonquin
Elder, William Commanda, that the area is significant to his people. This
is the same Elder who was granted the Keys to the City of Ottawa out of
respect that the city has for his position and for his contribution to
preserving Ottawa's cultural heritage;
4. Discovery of a similar significant site at the same elevation less
than 1 km away on Huntmar Ridge in July 2010. This has been reported to the
City of Ottawa but to-date nothing has been done to evaluate this site
because the city has not allocated funds for such purposes - despite its
obligation to do so under the Ontario Heritage Act;
5. Discovery of the stone circle in Beaver Pond Forest in 2010. The
protection of this site will only protect the immediate vicinity (a few
meters on either side of it). The very discovery of this site is evidence
that it was missed in the 2004 survey.
My concern is that it is highly likely that there are several other
undiscovered sites nearby that may be destroyed if KNL/Urbandale is allowed
to proceed. This concern is substantiated by the City's own assessment in
its cultural resource database that the entire area is high in pre-contact
archaeological resource potential.
Grandfather Commanda, the most senior Elder in the Algonquin First Nation,
has identified that the area is unique and sacred to the aboriginal peoples
of this area and he has requested that a proper archaeological survey of the
area be done. Members of the InterTribal Medicine Council have expressed
that the Algonquin should be consulted. I also support this request and
urge you to fulfill your constitutional responsibility, in accordance with
Section 35 of the Constitution Act, to ensure that the Crown consults with
First Nations in this matter.
January 6th 2011 Request Made by Grandfather William Commanda to the City of Ottawa and the Premier of Ontario
“I together with many others again urge City Council to initiate an immediate and comprehensive archaeological survey of this site; I believe it is the underlying responsibility of the crown and governments and the National Capital Commission to safeguard this ecologically and archaeologically unique site of the South March Highlands as a potential national heritage site, one of significant Indigenous importance, and as an Algonquin in the unceded, unconquered and unsurrendered Ottawa River Watershed, I add my voice to the call for such action.”
To view the entire letter, please click here.
Grandfather William Commanda’s Third Letter on the South March Highlands
Video - Grandfather William Commanda’s own words.
Ottawa’s Great Forest - A Stewardship Plan Friday, October 22, 2010