Ontario's heritage can be described as everything that our society values that has survived as a representation of our past. Archaeological sites are a part of our province's heritage. They include the physical remains and contextual setting of any structure, event, activity, place, feature or object, on or below the surface of the land or underwater, that contributes to understanding the history of a people or place. In Ontario archaeological resources include such things as the remnants of aboriginal hunting and village sites, to battlefields to early pioneer homes and shipwrecks.

Ontario's archaeological heritage extends back some 11,000 years, and documents the rich and culturally diverse heritage of Ontario's Aboriginal communities, as well as the non-Aboriginal peoples who arrived and settled here in the past 400 years. Archaeological resources consist of both individual objects (artifacts), and cultural features (sites and settlement patterns) created as a result of the past habitation and activities carried out by the people who occupied a specific place. As well, the context within which these objects and features are found is a critical component in documenting and understanding the resource.

Archaeological resources are extremely fragile records of the past, and disturbances, through land use activities or artifact looting, can destroy them. Additionally, since most archaeological resources are located below ground and not readily visible, they need to be physically identified and documented before they can be added to the heritage record. Presently, only an estimated 10-15% of all archaeological sites in the Province have been identified Much of our future ability to understand and appreciate our past will depend on finding and documenting such resources before they are destroyed.

Archaeology and Heritage Planning

The Ontario Heritage Act provides for the conservation of Ontario's heritage resources, and provides the Ministry of Culture with the mandate to determine policies and programs related to the provincial interest in conserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.

The Archaeology and Heritage Planning Unit plays a key and on-going role in development planning processes, by assisting and guiding municipalities, approval authorities and public and private sector developers in meeting the relevant Ontario Heritage Act requirements. The Archaeology and Heritage Planning Unit also reviews investigations conducted by licensed archaeologists, and manages the land and marine resources documented by those investigations. The unit also develops operational policies, Technical Standards, Guidelines and information material on archaeological conservation in Ontario. As well, Archaeology and Heritage Planning Unit staff work closely with the archaeological community, First Nations, and other groups and individuals who have an interest in conserving our province's archaeological heritage.

Special Initiatives, Policies and Training

Times of radical change provide unexpected opportunities for bringing forward the heritage conservation message. One of the initiatives of the Archaeology and Heritage Planning Unit has been incorporating stronger cultural heritage policies in the new Planning Act. By means of this initiative, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has joined with us in promoting heritage conservation as an important provincial interest.