ARA

ARA welcomes Dr. James Conolly as an Associate

Paul Racher — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:42:56 +0000

ARA is delighted to welcome James Conolly as our newest Associate. James is a full professor of archaeology at Trent University (Peterborough, ON), where he has taught since 2004. He holds an undergraduate degree in Anthropology (Toronto), an MA in Archaeology (UCL), an MSc in Geoscience (Southampton), and a PhD in Archaeology (UCL). He is a recognized authority on the application of GIS and remote sensing to archaeology. For over twenty-five years he has worked in maritime contexts, initially in Greece (including multiyear surveys of the islands of Kythera and Antikythera) and, since 2010, island and waterways within the Trent-Severn. The latter work includes studies of the ways riverine mobility influenced the siting of Middle Woodland ritual centres and the identification of early (8000-year-old) inundated components on flooded paleoshorelines. He has supervised over 40 graduate students, many of whom now work professionally as archaeologists in the commercial and public sectors in Ontario.We couldn’t be happier to have James on the ARA team!

ARA Welcomes Rudy Fecteau as an Associate

Jonathan Haxell — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 18:52:39 +0000

ARA Ltd. is absolutely delighted to announce that our dear friend Rudy Fecteau is joining us as our newest Associate. Rudy has a BA in anthropology from the University of Toronto and an MA from York University. His master’s thesis, “The Introduction and Diffusion of Cultivated Plants in Southern Ontario” (Dr. Conrad Heidenreich, Supervisor) is considered a seminal work. Over the last 45 years, Rudy has been one of Canada’s foremost archaeobotanists, having worked on collections from more than 330 Pre-Contact, Contact, and Euro-Canadian sites from across seven Canadian provinces as well as New York and Ohio. He regularly delivers professional and public presentations to museums, university departments, community groups, and First Nations across the continent. Rudy was appointed ‘Visiting Scholar’ to the McMaster Palaeoethnobotany Research Facility (MPERF) in 2018 and was the 2013 J. Norman Emerson Silver Medal Award winner for the Ontario Archaeological Society (OAS). Welcome “Rood!”

A Statement on the Discovery at the Former Kamloops Indian Residential School

Paul Racher — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 17:40:24 +0000

Like all Canadians, the principals and staff at Archaeological Research Associates Ltd. (ARA Ltd.) were devastated by news of the discovery of child burials at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Our hearts go out to the Indigenous families and communities across Canada whose children suffered, and sometimes died, under the brutality of the Indian Residential School system. It is a dark and ongoing chapter of Canadian history which the country must take solid steps to atone for. There can be no Reconciliation without first coming to grips with the truth of these events.

With that in mind, it is worth reminding Canadians that more such discoveries are almost certain to follow. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) has identified the names of, or information about, more than 4100 children who died of disease or accident while attending a residential school. The lack of adequate records relating to these deaths is also a matter of national shame. Specifically:

• in 32% of cases, death records did not record the student’s name
• in 23% of cases, the gender of the student who died was not recorded
• in 49% of cases, the cause of death was not given

This failure to provide basic record keeping was part of the general pattern of disrespect for Indigenous peoples that was exhibited by the Crown and the churches who jointly ran the residential schools. In Volume 4 of its final report to the nation, entitled Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials, the TRC noted that most of the cemeteries associated with these schools are “abandoned, disused, and vulnerable to accidental disturbance.”

It seems almost inconceivable that burial grounds associated with residential schools continue to languish without proper care and commemoration. Despite government promises to the contrary, the TRC’s Calls to Action (Nos. 71-76) regarding the identification, documentation, restoration, protection, and commemoration of residential school burial sites remain unfulfilled. Until adequate resources are dedicated to accomplishing these goals, we cannot accept that Canadian governments are serious about Reconciliation.

The ARA Heritage Team is growing again.

Paul Racher — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 17:30:38 +0000

ARA is excited to share that our heritage team is growing once again with the addition of Aly Bousfield-Bastedo. Aly joins the team as a technical writer. She will produce deliverables for ARA’s heritage team and will assist with historical research, heritage assessments and evaluations, and technical support. Prior to joining ARA, Aly earned a Diploma in Heritage Conservation from the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts, building upon a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities from the University of Guelph and a post-graduate certificate in Urban Design from Simon Fraser University. Her work experience includes condition assessments, cultural heritage landscape studies, conservation studies and heritage interpretation. Aly has considerable expertise in working with provincial and municipal legislation and guidelines including the Ontario Heritage Act, Official Plans, the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places, and the Ontario Heritage Toolkit. She has worked locally and internationally on conservation projects with a focus on heritage landscapes and traditional building methods and materials. Aly is passionate about cultural heritage landscapes and the interconnections between natural, built and intangible heritage.

ARA Welcomes New Associate and Announces New Location

Paul Racher — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 17:37:52 +0000

ARA is delighted to announce that Scarlett Janusas is joining us as an associate, effective immediately. Scarlett is a seasoned cultural resource management professional with over 3 decades of experience in archaeology, anthropology, marine heritage, and Indigenous consultation. She holds a BA from Western and an MA from Trent and served two terms as the President of the Association of Professional Archaeologists (APA). Scarlett is one of a very select group of archaeologists in the province who is qualified to do marine work. Prior to her work in consulting, she was the Regional Archaeologist for the Region of Waterloo (1986-1993) and the Chairperson of the Ontario Marine Heritage Committee (1991-2001).

In related news, Scarlett’s former Owen Sound Office has been assumed by ARA and, effective immediately, will begin serving clients in Grey, Bruce, Huron, northern Dufferin and western Simcoe counties. The office will be managed by our own Lena Zepf, a Project Archaeologist with 10 years of experience who has been a key part of the ARA team since 2017. Stay tuned for more details!

ARA Welcomes Heritage Project Manager

Paul Racher — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 23:14:05 +0000

ARA is pleased to announce that Amy Barnes will be joining our team as a Heritage Project Manager.

Amy has over ten years of experience evaluating cultural heritage resources and leading community engagement. She has completed over 50 heritage-related projects, including 150+ cultural assessments, and has been qualified as an expert witness at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. She has worked in both the public and private sector in roles that have included; project management, public consultation, facilitation, research, database and records management, and report author. Amy holds an M.A. in Heritage Conservation from the School of Canadian Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Additionally, Amy has successfully completed courses in Foundations in Public Participation, and Techniques for Effective Public Participation through the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), and Indigenous Awareness Training through Indigenous Awareness Canada.

Welcome William (Bill) Fox to the ARA Family

Paul Racher — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 17:13:26 +0000

ARA Ltd. is delighted to announce that William (Bill) Fox has joined us as an Associate. Though he hardly needs an introduction, we’re going to give him one anyway. Bill been involved in a variety of archaeological pursuits across Ontario for close to 60 years, and has worked as Chief of Archaeology for Parks Canada projects in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories (incl. Nunavut) and Yukon; while also conducting some additional work for Indigenous communities in BC and Quebec. Internationally, he has worked on projects in France, Cyprus (8 seasons), Mongolia and the U.S., and conducted research in the U.K., Turkey, Japan and Colombia. At present, he is an Adjunct Professor and instructor at Trent University, and is involved in a number of geoarchaeology research projects. Welcome Bill!

ARA Welcomes Two Project Archaeologists

Paul Racher — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 17:12:17 +0000

ARA is pleased to announce the expansion of our archaeology department with the addition of two Project Archaeologists.

Charlton Carscallen is a senior Cultural Resource Management professional with over 30 years of field, project, academic and public policy experience in Indigenous and Euro-Canadian archaeology and anthropology, Built Heritage and Cultural Heritage Landscape studies, and Indigenous consultation and engagement. As a Project Archaeologist, Charlton brings a wealth of experience in large, complex projects, both for new facilities and the expansion and/or upgrade of existing infrastructure, notably for various public sector clients. These include the Ministry of Transportation, Infrastructure Ontario, Metrolinx, HydroOne, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and a range of municipal-level governments. He has worked for a broad array of private sector clients including work in land development under the Planning Act and through the Clean Energy Act. His public sector work includes projects under the MTO Class Environmental Assessment process, Transportation Project Approval Process (TPAP), and the Aggregates Act as well as others. Charlton is RAQS approved with MTO. Key to all of these experiences are his decades of extensive experience working as part of large, multi-disciplinary teams; working with experts from a broad range of disciplines including planners, engineers, and environmental specialists.

Andrew O’Shaughnessy joined ARA in 2011 as a Field Technician while studying at Wilfrid Laurier University. Shortly afterwards, he graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in North American Archaeology and received his Applied Research License from the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries (MHSTCI). After two years of exemplary work as a Field Technician, Andrew became a Field Director for ARA in 2013, distinguishing himself on projects across the province. After a brief period with AECOM as a Field Director, wherein he honed his skills further, Andrew returned to ARA as a senior Field Director. In 2020, Andrew was promoted to Project Archaeologist. In addition to these duties, Andrew serves as a key member of our Geomatics and Geophysics Team.

Three New Associates Join ARA.

Paul Racher — Thu, 03 Sep 2020 17:14:44 +0000

It is with the greatest please that we announce the addition of three new Associates to the ARA Team: Nick Adams, Paul General, and Gary Warrick.

Nick Adams holds a Masters in Archaeology and Heritage (Distinction) from the University of Leicester and has been involved in archaeology for more than fifty years, first in the United Kingdom and in Canada since 1977. Nick first started working in Ontario as a Field Archaeologist for the Ontario Government based in Sault Ste. Marie, then for the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation in Kingston until starting his own archaeological consulting company, Adams Heritage, in 1989. He has completed hundreds of archaeological assessment projects throughout Ontario and holds a professional archaeological licence (# P003) from the Province of Ontario. Nick is a prolific writer of non-fiction, a narrator of audiobooks, and an authority on classic motorcycles.

Paul General is the former (retired) Manager of the Six Nations Eco-Centre. He is a Member of the Seneca Nation – Snipe Clan. He is active in over 30 committees and working groups, monitoring and contributing towards the protection and enhancement of our environment and has authored and co-authored numerous articles in a variety of publications, periodicals and books. Paul is also the honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the 56th Field Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Dr. Gary Warrick has over 40 years of archaeological experience in Ontario. He was the Regional Archaeologist for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (1989-1999) and was a full-time professor of Indigenous Studies, history, and archaeology at Wilfrid Laurier University (1999-2020). He has conducted collaborative archaeological research with the Huron-Wendat, Six Nations of the Grand River. and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Current research in Ontario includes a study of Huron-Wendat history and land use in Simcoe County; Indigenous placemaking in Kitchener-Waterloo; and Haudenosaunee land use in the Grand River watershed.

Welcome gentlemen! We look forward to the great things that we will accomplish together!

ARA’s Anti-Racism Statement

Paul Racher — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 17:18:57 +0000

We have heard the call to address the urgent matter of systemic racism plaguing our country. This is a call for deepening both individual and corporate self-examination. This year in particular, we have seen horrific reminders that anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and other forms of racism continue to be destructive, harmful, and divisive. We join those who have already spoken in expressing our concerns.

We recognize that archaeology has inherently colonial roots, and strive to work in awareness of our privilege, and to challenge the perpetuation of this colonial legacy. To this end, ARA is self-reflecting on how we can further enact antiracism within our business. As part of this, ARA has struck an Antiracism Committee to challenge systemic racism within archaeological practice.

We are committing to a multi-focused plan to increase diversity, inclusion, and equity within ARA, and to push for more meaningful changes within the industry more broadly. The committee is proceeding from a place of openness, fluidity, and flexibility. As this committee continues to mature and new insights emerge, recommendations and policies will likewise change. Taking our lead from the experts in education and research in this field, we are beginning with the following actionable steps:

Actively seeking out new hires from racialized and marginalized communities
Emphasizing retention and supporting employees from those groups.
Thoroughly investigating the structural and/or other racist barriers that are hindering promotion of members of racialized and marginalized communities within the company;
Increasing our outreach efforts to include historically underrepresented groups within the profession of archaeology broadly, and CRM in Ontario specifically;
Developing a mentorship or sponsorship program to help interested candidates develop in the profession;
Continuing to examine guidelines and current practices in dialogue with all stakeholders to challenge systemic and implicit biases that persist within archaeology, heritage, and cultural resource management in Ontario.

This list is not exhaustive and many of these actions require strategizing beyond what is laid out here. This work is ongoing, and as such regular updates to reflect on efforts to reach our goals and outline other actionable steps will be forthcoming. Please feel free to contact us at antiracism@arch-research.com with any concerns or inquiries.