City Of Hamilton consultation not there on find of 4,000-year-old artifacts

Victoria Park spray pad site (Photo by Lisa Iesse)

By Lisa Iesse Writer HAMILTON – The city of Hamilton is blaming revamping of its consultation policies for failing to notify nearby Indigenous communities that Indigenous artifacts had been found at a downtown park. An archaeological dig unearthed arrowheads and flint flakes at up to 4,523 and 1,523 years old during excavation of a planned spray pad two weeks ago. But work on the park had begun in 2007, some 16 years ago, without notification. The city says archaeological consultation requirements with Indigenous groups got lost in the shuffle as they developed and improved their monitoring policy. The Victoria Park site at 500 Kings Street West, where the ancient Indigenous arrowheads and flint flakes were found is on the unceded traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC), Six…

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