The demolition of a home on Killarney Road has uncovered what are believed to be the remains of an ancestral burial in an area known, in the past, to have been long occupied by First Nations peoples.

The home had been demolished to make way for new construction and in the process of clearing the site, the remains were discovered. Police were contacted, as were the B.C. CoronerB次元官网网址檚 Service, but it was soon discovered that the find was not a modern burial site and the situation was turned over to the Provincial Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, who are responsible for the archaeological services provided by the government.

When remains are found, that government agency investigates the site, catalogues the find and works with the First Nations communities to ensure that the remains are dealt with in a respectful manner.

According to ministry spokesperson Jermy Uppenborn, it is a common occurrence. The ministry said that there are currently 54,000 burial places registered under the Heritage Protection Act and about 1,450 new sites are added annually.

ItB次元官网网址檚 no surprise then that the discovery of First Nations burial sites is nothing new for the Cadboro Bay neighbourhood.

In late 2016 Carl Foght began a major renovation on his home, situated within a hundred meters of the Killarney Road property.

B次元官网网址淚t was March when we came across human remains on the site. IB次元官网网址檇 been warned that it might happen, but I didnB次元官网网址檛 really think it would be the case. It was a sort of B次元官网网址榯old you soB次元官网网址� moment,B次元官网网址� said Foght.

B次元官网网址淲hen we discovered the remains, we had Stantec (engineering consultants) on site and they made sure we did everything to be respectful to the First Nations and making sure we did everything right.B次元官网网址�

Doing B次元官网网址渆verything rightB次元官网网址� was not an easy or inexpensive proposition for Foght.

B次元官网网址淭he whole process set us back about two months. They actually sifted the soil to make certain that nothing was missed and found not only the remains but harpoons, combs, and all manner of decorative artifacts with the remains,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚t added some cost for us, for sure. We had an archaeologist on site for the whole process at $100 an hour and for the re-internment ceremony we were charged an additional $600. But itB次元官网网址檚 a cost that you have to be prepared to absorb any time you do a renovation in this area.B次元官网网址�

In the end, the remains of 13 individuals were found on the site, and at the request of the First Nations representatives the remains were re-interred in a different location at the far end of the same property.

B次元官网网址淭hey had a ceremony to re-inter the bones and we agreed to have it done on our property out of respect for the First Nations community,B次元官网网址� explained Foght. B次元官网网址淲e wanted to do it all the right way.B次元官网网址�

Foght added that at no time in the entire process did he get the sense that the First Nations representatives were inclined to be anything but co-operative.

According to information provided by the Lkwungen TungB次元官网网址檈xw First Nation, eight distinct family groups lived, fished, hunted and harvested the regionB次元官网网址檚 coastal lands for as many as 8,000 years. A series of temporary settlements joined larger permanent villages at McNeil Bay and Willows Beach and formed a significant presence in the area prior to the coming of European settlers.

While the provincial government has developed a map of the area in which likely archaeological sites may exist, the fact is that residents donB次元官网网址檛 really know what may lie under their property until they put a spade in the ground.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a fellow across the street who is planning to put in a new driveway, and IB次元官网网址檝e already warned him of what might be there and how it might become more complicated for him,B次元官网网址� said Foght.

B次元官网网址淎s a homeowner you knew there is a possibility so you prepare yourself, but of course youB次元官网网址檙e not looking for it to happen.B次元官网网址�