The Lawson Digital Exhibit In 2017, as part of his Mitacs Postdoctoral Fellowship in partnership with TMHC, Josh Dent wanted to generate a template for digital exhibitions that TMHC could use to provide extra value to clients and assist in disseminating information to interested communities. Interested in how to digitize older archaeological research and media, Josh had been assisting the Museum of Ontario Archaeology to catalogue documents from the Museum’s past. Those documents and binders full of old photograph slides and negatives pointed to one site that had seen a lot of fieldwork but relatively little in the way of digitization, the Lawson Site adjacent the Museum and TMHC. Original Museum of Ontario Archaeology Site Concept Using scanning equipment and software at Sustainable Archaeology to digitize slides and negatives, and…
Heritage, Indigenous Consultation and Land Use Planning Every conflict has more than one cause at its root. Heritage resources and human burials have been a causal factor in a number of conflicts between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples in Ontario over the last two decades. The events at Ipperwash Provincial Park and Camp Ipperwash and Douglas Creek Estates (Caledonia) are two well known examples of this. Lesser known examples include: McClung Road (Caledonia) https://www.thespec.com/news-story/6270770-no-ruling-on-caledonia-injunction-to-stop-native-protests/ Tutela Heights (Brantford), http://vitacollections.ca/sixnationsarchive/3247963/data Burleigh Bay (Decision October 6, 2017 Case No. PL150313) https://globalnews.ca/news/3795333/ontario-municipal-board-nixes-stony-lake-condo-complex/ and http://elto.gov.on.ca/tribunals/lpat/e-decisions/ Spine Road (Elliott Lake) http://anishinabeknews.ca/2013/06/13/serpent-river-first-nation-challenges-subdivision/ Southampton http://blackburnnews.com/midwestern-ontario/2018/02/08/stop-work-order-southampton-constrution-site/ and Saugeen Ojibway Nation Statement (1)(2) The list of concerns deals with impacts to Indigenous Peoples’ asserted and treaty rights with respect to their cultural heritage as part of the approval process for…
The Ward Uncovered: The Archaeology of Everyday Life In 2015, TMHC began work on one of the most significant urban archaeological sites in North America. Uncovering a microcosm of Toronto's and Canada's multicultural heritage, the archaeological dig added to the already rich history of 'The Ward' neighbourhood. Next week on June 27, three years after archaeological work commenced, Toronto celebrates the release of The Ward Uncovered. The book encapsulates the breadth of cultural and temporal diversity uncovered during excavations. For a sneak peek, check out recent excerpts in local periodicals, including this potentially explosive account from Holly Martelle in TVO. Still need more? Due to high demand The Ward Cabaret has added an extra late show tonight at 10:30 pm.
National Indigenous Peoples Day Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations Image Credit: Pierre-Olivier Fortin, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported As National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 approaches, how the commitments of UNDRIP and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are reflected in the management of cultural heritage resources is only beginning to be understood in Ontario. Increasingly, Indigenous communities are developing community specific requirements related to identification, evaluation and mitigation of impacts to cultural heritage. TMHC makes efforts to incorporate Indigenous community input whenever possible. We also encourage our clients to work with Indigenous communities to build respectful, long term relationships. As consultants, it is the expectation of Indigenous communities that we support their requirements. However, as they are not government requirements, occasionally proponents are reluctant to support meeting…
