As in
previous years the Huronia Chapter membership has fluctuated between 25 – 30
members with about 50% overall participation in various chapter activities.
We have had
8 members meetings so far this year including a review of our priorities in at
the first of the year and as a result put our Champlain Project over to a
committee. We had presentations from Dr Alicia Hawkins on the Thompson/Walker
Huron village site, Jamie Hunter on Council Rock, Rudy Fecteau on Plants in
Archaeology, Bryan MacKell regarding Simcoe
County ’s trails master
plan, Catherine Sutton on Dr C J Tache’s work in Huronia, Janet Turner on the Mnjikaning Fish Fence Circle .
We also held a pool party, BBQ social in July and have our AGM/election slated
for December. In addition to our regular activities Laurentian U conducted a
field school at the Ellery site and Alicia was kind enough to host an open
house to which our members were invited to attend. We also attempted to host a
public archaeology day but this was not possible due to time constraints and
the bureaucratic red tape seemingly unavoidable in such endeavours.
In support
of our members and their activities we publish a quarterly newsletter titled
“The Pot” along with the occasional update called “The Sherd”. We also have a
webpage courtesy of the OAS doing the web hosting. Our blog has continued with
less member’s participation than we might have hoped for but none the less
gives us a presence online and has stimulated some public inquiries and
information sharing.
Last year's
focus on Champlain and the villages he visited in Huronia in 1615 has been
formulated into a funding request that has been submitted to a local
francophone organization that has a mandate to promote the Champlain
commemoration events slated for 2015. This is also the year that we have
committed to host the OAS annual symposium.
As a result
of our networking with the First Nations community we were asked to become
involved in some community consultation regarding the installation of a Bell
Mobility communications tower that was proposed in an area rich with
archaeological and historical resources (the Ossossane sites). As a result Bell
Mobility agreed to do an archaeological assessment even though not required to do
so by Industry Canada
who acts as the regulating body for these tower installations. We were also
reminded that even though these sites are designated as National Historic
sites, this affords them no protection from intrusion and or destruction.
Communities across Ontario have been asked to develop a protocol regarding
communication towers but seem to be discouraged from asking for serious
community consultation and from what I can see ignore cultural landscapes and
any question of archaeological assessments. These issues might well be
considered for action by the OAS advocacy committee in an effort to further the
protection of archaeological sites in Ontario .
We have also been asked for comment on an industrial site development that is
close to some archaeological sites across the river from Ste Marie among the
Hurons and visible from the Martyrs Shrine. This development was not asked to
do an archaeological assessment and it would appear that the question of
historical/cultural landscapes was never addressed.
Another
project that we have been invited to become involved with is the Mnjikaning Fish Fence Circle
and their project to build a bridge over and an interpretive centre at the Atherley Narrows . This is another National
Historic site that is afforded no protection and is now being encroached by
developments.
All in all
this has been another good year with more potential projects in the works than
active members to move them forward.
Respectfully
Submitted;
John Raynor
President
Huronia
Chapter of the Ontario
Archaeological Society.
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