CCRA CRM Archaeology Showcase

Session Hosting Format:

in-person session

Organizer(s):

Kurtis Blaikie, Canadian Cultural Resources Association
Dave Norris, Woodland Heritage Northwest

Contact Email:

Session Description (300 word max):

We want Canada’s CRM firms and professionals to share the great work, research and innovation they are doing across all aspects of Cultural Resources Management.

Canada’s CRM sector is responsible for the overwhelming majority of the archaeology undertaken in this country. When these projects make the news, it’s often in a negative light, as a delay or risk to development projects, or because of disturbance to significant or sensitive sites. For every bad news story, CRM professionals identify, study and protect hundreds of archaeological and historical sites.

This session is an opportunity to highlight the day to day work of the CRM sector. We want to hear about the interesting sites, challenging projects, and innovations in methods or special analysis your company has undertaken. We want to hear about both successes and learnings, but mostly we want to give you an opportunity to share work you’re proud of with the broader archaeology community.

This is an opportunity to showcase your firm and the great work you do, organized by the Canadian Cultural Resources Association as part of the CRM Expo.

Présentations

Building a Bridge to the Past: Excavations at the Frank Channel Site (Deh K’è, K’òòta Nįįlįį) (KePl‐

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Jason Roe - Lifeways of Canada Limited
Cheyanne Lepka - Lifeways of Canada Limited
Wyatt McDonald - Lifeways of Canada Limited

In 2025 Lifeways had the opportunity to conduct an HRIA for the replacement of Frank Channel Bridge in the Northwest Territories. The work started as an AIA of the bridge replacement and ultimately culminated in a full-scale excavation of KePl-1—a large campsite of high regional significance that was first recorded by William Noble in 1966. In 1967, Noble returned to the site to complete partial excavations. In 1993 Thomas Andrews revisited the site. Our investigations focused on the AIA of the bridge replacement, successfully relocating KePl-1, as well as identifying nine additional sites in the area. The second phase of our work included partial mitigation of KePl-1, resulting in the identification of three hearth features, numerous projectile points and bone tools. This presentation will showcase the work undertaken and shed additional light on the importance of KePl-1, further contributing to our understanding of the people who lived along the Frank Channel at the Northwest end of the Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories.

Cody Knives in Alberta

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Jason Roe - Lifeways of Canada

In the summer of 2025 while conducting an HRIA for Hinton Lumber, we were fortunate enough to recover a Cody Knife. Cody Complex materials are not uncommon along the Eastern Slopes. This presentation will be a synopsis of how many Cody Knives have been recovered from Alberta. What toolstones are these Cody Knives made from and is this diagnostic. Is there a specific technological behaviour in the manufacturing process of Cody Knives that is unique. Lastly, what are some of the morphological characteristics of the Cody Knife we recovered and the other Cody Knives found in Alberta that separate them from other Cody Complex artifacts.

Dynamics and Challenges in Canadian CRM Archaeology

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Matthew Munro - Stantec Consulting Ltd.; The University of Calgary
Kenneth Holyoke - University of Lethbridge
Lindsay Amundsen-Meyer - University of Calgary

Following our first national survey of employees and employers over 2024, this presentation highlights the dynamics and challenges of working in contemporary Canadian CRM. Our survey suggests that the Canadian CRM industry is facing challenges related to employee satisfaction and educational preparedness, while employers report difficulty in finding suitable candidates to handle increased workloads and to help their companies grow. We suggest that more advocacy for CRM within our industry, in universities, and in government, may begin to address these broader issues. This presentation concludes with a preview of the results from our second national survey and outlines the next steps for our project.

Heritage Resource Assessment Studies for the Coffee Gold Project

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Tim Bennett - Ecofor Consulting Ltd.

The Coffee Gold Project is located approximately 130 km south of Dawson City, YT and 95 km north-east of Beaver Creek, YT within the traditional territories of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, Selkirk First Nation, the First Nation of Na-cho Nyäk Dun, and asserted territory of the White River First Nation. The Coffee claims were first staked in 2006, and Ecofor Consulting Ltd. has been involved with the heritage resource program for the project since 2016. Ecofor’s involvement builds on three heritage resource studies conducted before Ecofor joined the project, and has led to an additional two Heritage Resource Overview Assessments, 10 Heritage Resource Impact Assessments (HRIAs) related to the claims themselves, and three HRIAs related to the Northern Access Route access road linking the claims to the Yukon highway system. Combined these studies have identified/assessed 53 archaeological sites and 16 Yukon Historic Sites Inventory. This body of work has been instrumental in developing a comprehensive Heritage Resource Protection Plan for the project. This presentation summarizes the heritage work done to date, highlights some of the significant sites that have been recorded, and sets the stage for future work related to the Coffee Gold Project.

More Than Burned Stone: Confronting the Barriers Limiting Fire-broken Rock (FBR) Research

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Allie Bradford - University of Calgary

Fire-broken rock (FBR) and burned-rock features (BRF) are among the most ubiquitous yet poorly understood components of the archaeological record, despite their significant potential to inform interpretations of past human behavior. Throughout the Holocene, BRF functioned as cooking facilities, heat sources, and focal points of social and ceremonial activity. These features are typically identified through concentrations of FBR—thermally altered stone exhibiting discoloration, fracturing, and other heat-induced modifications.

This paper argues that current approaches, utilized in both academic and cultural resource management (CRM) contexts, for identifying and classifying BRF are insufficient, resulting in misinterpretation of these features. These challenges are exacerbated by inconsistent excavation methods, variable recording practices, and a lack of standardized terminology. Consequently, BRF are frequently oversimplified or misidentified, limiting their analytical and comparative value.

Drawing on data from the Junction Site (DkPi-2) in southern Alberta, this paper demonstrates the need for a more rigorous and standardized framework for BRF identification and classification. By emphasizing methodological clarity and standardized approaches to recording BRF, this work underscores the importance of these features as key proxies for understanding past technological practices, site use, and cultural behavior.

The Last Five Years: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Archaeology in the Springbank Area

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Joshua Read - Stantec Consulting Ltd.

Five years of archaeological assessments in the Springbank area, including systematic shovel testing, deep backhoe testing, and staged mitigative excavations, have resulted in the identification and recording of several important archaeological sites that have benefited from multi-disciplinary partnerships allowing for new and innovative approaches to data analysis and site interpretations. This presentation will highlight the archaeological work conducted at sites EgPo-149 (Moose Hill Ranch) and EgPo-161, a large multi-component precontact campsite situated near the Elbow River, specifically focusing on the partnerships with the University of Calgary and other researchers that have allowed for new analyses of cultural materials and taphonomic processes in the Springbank area. Technologies including 3D scanning, GNSS systems used in tandem with XRF technology, as well as the results of obsidian sourcing and phytolith/starch grain analyses, will be highlighted.

Too Significant to Stop: Archaeological Discovery at the Ostby Lands, Southern Alberta

Format de présentation : In-Person

Auteur-e(s) :

Margarita de Guzman - Circle CRM Group Inc.
Megan Bieraugle - Circle CRM Group Inc.

In 2025, Circle CRM Group conducted a Historic Resources Baseline Assessment of the Ostby Lands in the Milk River region of southern Alberta. The project identified 35 new historic resource sites and revisited eight previously recorded sites across a coulee landscape immediately adjacent to Writing-on-Stone (Áísínai'pi), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The assemblage, including rock art, ceramics, stone features, and lithics, speaks to patterns of cultural continuity in late pre-contact southern Alberta and raises important questions about the relationship between the Ostby Lands and Áísínai'pi.

This paper presents the project's archaeological findings, but also presents them honestly. Scoped at four days with four archaeologists, the project grew to 16-plus field days with crews of up to 23. The archaeology made that inevitable. We use this project to reflect honestly on what fixed-scope government contracts cannot accommodate, and to make a case for transparency about the real costs of working in landscapes that turn out to matter.