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Archaeological dig reveals remnants of life in 1800s by Julia Le Oakville Beaver Staff 5 | Thursday, August 13, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com An archaeological dig on Dundas Street, east of Bronte Road, has unearthed remnants of Oakville's past. Shards of ceramics and other artifacts have been collected by New Directions Archaeology Ltd., providing a glimpse of the early pioneers who once lived there, said a field technician from the Ancaster company. "What we're finding here are your Canadian artifacts -- bits of plates, all kinds of other ceramic artifacts, glass, different metals and nails," said Ayla Mykytey Tuesday, during the last day of excavation. It's all part of a process that must take place before plans move ahead as part of Halton Region's road reconstruction and widening of Dundas Street, from Old Bronte Road to Fourth Line. Mykytey said the artifacts, which date to the 1800s, have been brought to the company's lab in Ancaster where they will be processed, analyzed and reported to Halton Region and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, which governs the company's standard of of Dundas Street, measures about 60 meters by 150 meters, east of Palermo Village, which once thrived in the area of Dundas and Bronte Road. It has been excavated in four stages since last year when the area was first studied and soil was sifted before finally being stripped of the top soil so that technicians can look for features or any evidence of structure and land use. Trafalgar Township Historical Society President Michael Reid said he's interested in knowing more details about what was uncovered and how many items were collected from the recent dig. "One of the largest digs between Sixth Line and Neyagawa (Boulevard) uncovered 40,000 items," said Reid in regard to a The one-room school in Palermo is now the headquarters for the Trafalgar Township Histori- Mattamy Homes development, cal Society, which is busy recording the history of Palermo Village as development occurs all adding it isn't uncommon to hear around it. about archaeological digs in the area | Oakville Beaver file photo as north Oakville is developed. The society, he said, works work. whether the area needs to be closely with the Heritage Planning department at the Town of Oakville New Directions Archaeology Ltd. protected. was hired by Halton Region last year "If we find artifacts like we did and the Heritage Oakville Municipal to do an archeological assessment of here, we have to proceed with the Advisory Committee so it's aware of what goes on in the area. the area, which is typical procedure excavation process," said Mykytey. Reid added the discovery of items prior to any development to see The site, located on the north side from the 1800s reaffirms what the society already knows -- the areas in the north of the town are rich in history. The group's mandate is to find ways to preserve and maintain elements of that history, which include items from these kinds of digs and the protection of a number of homes at risk of being demolished. "Everyone is under the impression that the older parts of Oakville are where the Chisholm family lived and south Oakville, but there are all the little towns like Munn's Corners and the old village under the Dundas Street bridge (Proudfoot's Hollow)...," he said, arguing that these areas are likely rich in their own history. He added that Dundas Street was the main route taken by people travelling from Toronto to cities like Hamilton by stagecoach. Trafalgar Township was the area of choice to settle for many people who fought in the War of 1812, Reid said. He said the group already has a large collection of artifacts. The society hopes to establish a museum and an archive to preserve the Township's history somewhere down the road. INJURED? I Can Help! YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY UNLESS I GET YOU MONEY My team of experienced lawyers can help you with: · Car accidents · Slip and Falls · Disability Claims (Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, CPP) · Wrongful Dismissal OFFICES IN OAKVILLE AND TORONTO For a free consultation call: Oakville: 905.842.2022 or Toronto: 416.351.9222 email: sspadafora@slspc.ca PLATINUM Sam Spadafora Injury and Employment Law