Winter conditions in Canada present significant challenges to archaeological fieldwork like ground frost, environmental constraints, and crew comfort limiting excavation activities. As a result, regulatory and commercial projects often face delays, waiting for favorable conditions in the spring thaw. In January 2025, Colbr conducted a pilot study using our Mechanical Auger Testing and Screening (MATS) methodology to assess the feasibility of winter archaeological testing. MATS enables deep, systematic testing in challenging environments, and this trial aimed to evaluate its efficacy under frozen ground conditions and extreme cold. This study was structured as a controlled field experiment, comparing testing/screening productivity,  methods/prcoess efficacy, and the impacts for both the proponent and the archaeologist. Key variables included frost resistance, auger efficiency and resilience, test pit context integrity, and field conditions. Results demonstrated that MATS effectively mitigated ground frost limitations, allowing for an entire month of additional, efficient, fieldwork, expediting project timelines while maintaining regulatory compliance and standards. Additionally, the study assessed the broader implications of this technology for archaeological practice, including its potential to replace archaeological monitoring, reduce physical barriers for field crew, streamline development approvals, reduce risk, and enhance year-round opportunities for field staff and small businesses. 

Since the announcement of approximately 200 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, we are seeing an unprecedented interest in remote sensing for burial identification in Canada. While ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is widely recognized as the most effective geophysics technique for non-invasive grave detection, there are instances where it is unsuitable. This can include areas of high soil conductivity or areas where low lying vegetation prevents the efficient operation of the GPR. One alternative approach is electromagnetic induction (EMI), which has long shown potential for grave detection but has yielded mixed results in some cemetery environments. This paper presents preliminary results from tests using the new Geonics EM38-4, which simultaneously collects conductivity and magnetic susceptibility datasets. We deployed it at the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery in Southwestern Ontario, a site with geological conditions similar to two nearby Indian Residential Schools (IRSs). We successfully identified general grave locations and, in some cases, individual burials. The study enhances our understanding of EMI’s potential in similar geologies, allowing us to provide Indigenous communities in the area with realistic expectations for its use in their ongoing IRS investigations.