Safeguarding the Great White North’s Submerged Treasures for Half a Century: An Overview of 50 years of Underwater Archaeology at Parks Canada

Summary

In 1964, Parks Canada’s newly created underwater archaeology team conducted its first three projects at Fort Lennox (Richelieu River), Fort St. Joseph (Lake Superior) and on Walker’s fleet (St. Lawrence River estuary). Fifty years and tens of thousands of dives later, Canada’s only federal underwater archaeology team is still exploring our country’s waters. This magical journey saw the Underwater Archaeology Service (UAS) of Parks Canada deploy to all areas of the country, from the majestic coasts of British Columbia to the rugged shores of Labrador, from the vast Great Lakes to the frigid waters of the Arctic, standing proud to preserve and present Canada’s submerged heritage. This paper will give an overview of the history of the UAS and set the stage for what is to come in this session that will show how Parks Canada adapted underwater archaeological work to the Canadian reality.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Underwater Archaeology the Canadian Way, Eh! Fifty Years of Park Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-31,01