Ancient village discovered; Native group lived north of city in the 13th century

Posted By JAMES NEELEY

A significant native archeological find between Bridgenorth and Selwyn originally unearthed in 2004 is now public.

Initial site assessments for a proposed residential development on the south shore of Chemong Lake turned up almost 4,000 artifacts of a 13th-century Late Woodland Iroquois settlement, states a report by Archaeological Services Inc., which was hired by the owner of the land, Rob Gibson of R.G.L. Gibson Investments Inc.

The report calls the find "an exceptionally large number of artifacts."

The 2.3 hectares of land is located between Westwind Lane and Westwind Road at the end of the Centre Line of Smith in Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Township.

The archeological report was presented publicly for the first time last night at the township council meeting by Marion Shapiro and Linda Cumming of the Ratepayers Association of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield.

Following the initial discovery during stage one and two assessments, Archaeological Services was hired by Gibson in the spring of 2005 to conduct a detailed stage three archeological assessment of the site.

That excavation located 5,500 more artifacts, the report states.

The majority of the items discovered are sherds derived from ceramic cooking vessels, followed by chert flakes that represent waste from the manufacture of stone tools, states the report.

"The results clearly indicate that the Gibson site is a significant Late Woodland village ... of Iroquoian-speaking peoples from south-central Ontario," states the report.

Some finds suggest that members of the Algonquin-speaking natives of the area were also present, the report says.

"Since villages were occupied for relatively long periods of time, they are frequently found to contain, or be associated with, isolated human burials or more extensive cemeteries," states the report.

"This site must therefore be recognized as one of extremely high cultural heritage resource value."

Gibson originally applied for a 20-lot residential development on the 22-hectare parcel of land. He has now changed the application to include only 11 lots.

His proposal has not yet been approved.

Shapiro and Cumming said they presented the report to township council to ensure the site is properly handled according to the law. "Our concerns are that this site not be disturbed before the appropriate people have a chance to go in and clearly excavate and examine this land for other artifacts and burial sites," Cumming told council.

"Considering that there has been heavy equipment on the site, viewed by ourselves and pictures taken, we are very concerned that this may be disturbed."

"What's on and under the ground belongs to all of us," Shapiro said after their presentation. "It's a significant find and we want all Canadians to benefit from it."

Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Reeve Ron Millen said the discoveries are significant.

"I can't quite imagine development happening there in my lifetime," Millen told Shapiro and Cumming.

Kathy McCue, a member of the Curve Lake First Nation, said the developer has also failed to meet another government requirement.

"We have not been officially consulted or notified," she said.

When an artifact is first discovered, McCue said, by law the closest First Nation must be notified.

Council passed a motion to contact the Ministry of Culture to protect the site and fine the developer if it is being disturbed.

Robert Lamarre, building and planning manager for the township, told council the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority has issued a order and they have the authority to take it to the next level and that Fisheries and Oceans Canada should have some teeth to enforce the law.

"I hope that if they have some teeth that they start biting back," said Smith Ward Coun. Sherry Senis.

Lamarre also told council the township and agencies involved met with a representative from R.G.L. Gibson Investments about construction work being done on the land in the area of the archeological find.

"We emphasized very clearly that what he was doing was certainly counter-productive and inappropriate," Lamarre said.