FINAL REPORT RECEIVED ON ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Released on November 30, 2005

Innovation Place has received the final archaeological report on the burial site found at the Saskatchewan Forest Centre Building in Prince Albert during construction late in 2004.

The report was completed by Western Heritage Services Inc. of Saskatoon and it outlines in detail what was found at the grave site, a historical review of the area and a complete analysis of the individuals recovered. This is only the third historic cemetery in Saskatchewan to be subject to archaeological investigation.

Twenty-one individuals were discovered. The individuals included four adults, two children and 15 infants. Five were of Caucasian descent, 12 were Aboriginal and the rest could not be identified as to race. Evidence suggests that these individuals were buried during the Nisbet Mission period in Prince Albert's history between 1866 and 1874.

All of the individuals were buried in what has been determined to have been a Presbyterian Church cemetery, and they were reburied in a ceremony held by the Presbyterian Church on October 28th, 2005, in South Hill Cemetery in Prince Albert. The remains can be accessed from the burial vault if necessary at some point in the future.

Some of the artifacts recovered from the site include buttons, a coin, clothing items, pins, a ring, a pendant, cloth and tacks. The consultant noted that one of the defining attributes of the site, and one of the reasons it was identified as Presbyterian, is the small amount of personal artifacts.

Over the past year, Innovation Place and Western Heritage Services have received assistance and advice from the Presbyterian Church, the City of Prince Albert, the University of Saskatchewan and the Western Development Museum.

Print copies of the full 200-page report will be distributed to the City of Prince Albert, the Department of Culture Youth & Recreation, the John Cuelenaere Public Library in Prince Albert, the Saskatchewan Legislative Library and to the Prince Albert Grand Council. Electronic copies, in PDF format, of the report are available by contacting Innovation Place.

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For More Information, Contact:

Austin Beggs Innovation Place Saskatoon Phone: (306) 933-7464

Jim Finnigan Western Heritage Services Inc. Saskatoon Phone: (306) 975-3860