It’s important that you understand your obligations under the Historic Resource Act as well as what to expect during the regulatory process. Archaeology is important to Indigenous communities—it’s their past. That’s why it’s critical to ensure archaeological knowledge and materials are handled correctly, as mandated by governments.

Based on our experience working with various provincial regulators, we can predict what each regulator will be focused on and which areas they’ll want us to explore.

Lay the groundwork for success by understanding your heritage obligations. We help you navigate the process, ensuring your project honors the past and builds the future.

Historic Resource Applications

In the initial phases of your project, you must submit an Historical Resources Application (HRA) to the Historical Resources Management Branch (HRMB). Thanks to our strong relationships with the provincial regulators, we can guide you through the regulatory process or simply handle  it for you.

The HRA must include:

  • Summary information about the project and your organization
  • Your project development plans
  • Maps of the general location and the historical resources potential
  • A list of previously recorded sites
  • GIS shapefiles of the project

After the HRMB reviews the HRA, you may be offered clearance to go ahead with your project under the Historical Resources Act. Alternatively, the HRMB may give you a conditional clearance, where you will have to get an archaeologist to undertake some activity, such as looking at areas that don’t have any known sites, or monitoring.

Finally, you may have to have us do a Historical Resources Impact Assessment.

Statements of Justification and Historical Resources Overview

Some projects require a Statement of Justification (SoJ) or a Historic Resources Overview (HRO). These documents summarize all historical resources data, including information about archaeological sites, traditional use sites, historic structures, and palaeontological resources.

SoJs are used to make recommendations about the historical resources potential of the land. Known historic sites within and near the proposed project are plotted on maps, along with the footprint of the project. Additional information about previous HRIA investigations as well as site significance, complexity, and sensitivity is included in the SoJ. This allows us to evaluate where the HRMB may require field assessments, which will give you an idea of what’s coming. Only very large, complicated projects require SoJs.

 

To discuss how Ground Truth Archaeology & Heritage Services can help you achieve your goals, send us an email.