Dear Mr. Mayor,
As you probably know, the archaeological research conducted this summer as part of the Turcot Interchange reconstruction project led to the discovery of archaeological remains of an exceptional value. It is actually under the structure of the existing interchange that the foundations of many buildings three centuries old and constituting the old district of Saint-Henri-des-Tanneries came to light. Among these remains are the walls of houses and tanneries dating as far back as the year 1670, the canalisation of the former Glen brook which drained the former lac à la Loutre (Otter Lake), as well as thousands of artifacts of all kinds: architectural elements, wooden barrels, pieces of leather, work tools, dishes, animal bones, a safe, coins, smoking pipes, leather shoes, clothing buttons, and even toys, reflecting the varied activities of the men, women and children who once inhabited the area now buried. The preservation of these remains is absolutely remarkable and its spatial extent is impressive.
