APPENDIX C - BC Hydro - Transmission

Executive SummaryIn order to meet current and projected electricity demand on Vancouver Island and tomaintain reliable grid operations, the British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) isproposing to replace and upgrade existing 138 kV facilities connecting the Lower Mainland tosouthern Vancouver Island. The Vancouver Island Transmission Reinforcement project (VITR)entails new facilities within an existing transmission corridor from Arnott Substation in Delta, tothe Vancouver Island Terminal Station north of Duncan, B.C.Jacques Whitford Limited is conducting the Environmental Assessment for theTransmission Reinforcement Project and Millennia Research Limited has been retained by themto address the cultural heritage aspects of the development. The first phase of archaeologicalwork entails an Archaeological Overview Assessment (AOA) to identify and assessarchaeological resource potential within the proposed development area. The principalcomponents of the VITR project include replacement of overhead transmission line andsubmarine cable segments with 230 kV overhead, buried and submarine cables. This abbreviatedreport is concerned only with identifying the feasibility and constraints of the “Option 4”alternative in the Tsawwassen area, as much of the general background is discussed in the AOAfor the entire project.Option 4 follows along Highway 17 with underground cables starting at the intersectionof 52nd Street and Highway 17, continuing southwest past Tsawwassen IR 0 with a transition tosubmarine cables through tidal and subtidal waters to the existing 138 kV corridor acrossGeorgia Strait. Option 4 would pass through DgRs-2, a highly significant archaeological site.The site has been occupied for more than 4,000 years and demonstrates that there is a highdensity of artifacts and features. Further, human remains are found in large numbers throughoutthose parts of the Option 4 alignment that have received previous archaeological investigation.A trench dug through this site would almost certainly impact large volumes of significantarchaeological deposits and the chance of encountering many human burials would be very high.Based on the volume of site sediments that would be disturbed by the proposed Option 4development and the estimated density of human burials per cubic meter at the site, the skeletalremains of up to 250 or more individuals could be expected along the proposed right of way.In addition, there is a high chance of encountering previously undiscoveredarchaeological remains along this route, which passes through a series of ancient beach spits thatgrew north of Roberts Island (Tsawwassen uplands) during the development of the Fraser Delta.The offshore portion of the route crosses intertidal areas that may contain the preserved remainsof wood stake sturgeon traps that were located off the Tsawwassen village up to the early 20 thcentury.This route option is very undesirable from an archaeological perspective. If the route ischosen or further considered, an Archaeological Impact Assessment would be necessary andwould almost certainly be followed by Archaeological Data Recovery. Substantial lead-time willbe necessary to address permit application, data recovery, and aboriginal community relations.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview AssessmentiiiMillennia Research Ltd2005

IntroductionIn order to meet current and projected electricity demand on Vancouver Islandand to maintain reliable grid operations, the British Columbia Transmission Corporation(BCTC) is proposing to replace and upgrade existing 138 kV facilities connecting theLower Mainland to southern Vancouver Island. The Vancouver Island TransmissionReinforcement project (VITR) entails new facilities within an existing transmissioncorridor from Arnott Substation in Delta, to the Vancouver Island Terminal north ofDuncan, B.C. This report addresses one proposed alternate routing as an option to theexisting right of way between the Tsawwassen Substation and the English BluffTerminal. Option 4 begins at the intersection of 52 nd Street and Highway 17 in SouthDelta and continues south along Highway 17 past Tsawwassen IR 0. The right of way,facilities and infrastructure will be owned by BC Hydro, and managed and maintained byBCTC.Jacques Whitford Limited is conducting the Environmental Assessment for theproject and Millennia Research has been retained by them to investigate the culturalheritage aspects of the development. The first phase entails an Archaeological OverviewAssessment (AOA) to identify and assess archaeological resource potential within theproposed development area. A detailed analysis of the remainder of the proposed projectwas recently completed (Mathews 2005). This overview includes a library and recordssearch of pertinent ethnographic, archaeological and historical documents, a statement ofarchaeological resource potential and distribution, a judgmental assessment of anticipatedimpacts from proposed development plans, and recommendations for subsequentinventory and/or impact assessment studies.First Nation groups with asserted traditional territory within the assessment areainclude the Musqueam Indian Band, the Sto:lo Nation, and the Tsawwassen First Nation.Proposed ProjectThe original transmission connection between the Lower Mainland andVancouver Island (via the Gulf Islands) consists of two 138 kV AC circuits between theArnott Substation in South Delta and the Vancouver Island Terminal in North Cowichan,installed in 1956 and 1958. This report is concerned only with one option, identified asOption 4, to identify the feasibility and constraints of bypassing the existing transmissionline right of way from the Tsawwassen Substation to the English Bluff Terminal based onarchaeological potential.Although the exact alignment and method of construction has not been specifiedat this point, Option 4 entails underground cables installed along Highway 17 within theexisting Ministry of Transportation right of way. The route begins at the intersection of52nd Street and Highway 17 and continues southwest past Tsawwassen IR 0 (Figure 1).At the shore the line transitions to submarine cables through tidal and subtidal watersto the existing 138 kV right of way, crossing the Strait of Georgia to the Taylor Bay1VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview AssessmentMillennia Research Ltd2005

Terminal on Galiano Island. The Option 4 development would consist of trenching andlaying underground cables, although it is not presently known if cables will run along thenorth or south side of Highway 17. Terrestrial trenching would tentatively entail theexcavation of a 1.0-1.5 m wide, 2-3 m deep trench along the 2.5 km length of Option 4,depending on the type of trenching technique used. Due to the instability of the FraserRiver deltaic deposits, however, it may be necessary to undertake geotechnical groundimprovement works using vibro-densification methods. More specifically, vibrodensificationusing stone columns allows higher bearing capacities and mitigation ofliquefaction potential in seismically active areas.Vibro-densification entails constructing stone columns using a vibratory probe (orvibroflot). After the vibroflot penetrates to the desired depth of treatment, stone fill isdeposited into the hole from the ground surface or through feed tubes to the tip of thevibroflot as it is withdrawn. Repeatedly raising and lowering ("plunging") the vibroflotinto the stone during withdrawal results in columns of stone measuring approximately 1m in diameter. Vibro-densification would result in a continuous corridor of disturbanceabout 4 m wide and 8 m deep along the terrestrial length of Option 4.Furthermore, the land cables will require a vault or manhole approximately every600-800 m up to the terminal station, to facilitate pulling the cables through the lengths ofducts during installation. Each vault would be approximately 3 m 2 and excavated to adepth of 10 m. These vaults have a footprint of impact smaller than the vibrodensificationoutlined above, although go approximately 2 m deeper.The underground cables along Highway 17 would be spliced into the submarinecables, each with protective box that would be buried within the intertidal area. Thesplice between the terrestrial and three submarine cables would be done in the foreshorearea. Each splice would be contained in a box (1 m by 1 m by 3 m) and buried in theforeshore at a depth of approximately 1 m. However, individual submarine cables wouldhave to be maintained at about 5 m spacing until the transition was made to unarmouredland cables. This is to reduce mutual heating effects between individual cables andpreserve transmission capacity. Therefore three separate transition joint manholes wouldbe needed, each measuring about 2.5 m 2 and 10 m deep. The width is needed for generalsplicing room inside and the length is needed to accommodate armour wireanchoring/terminating in the manhole. It would be preferable to place the three manholesjust above the intertidal zone to facilitate access. On the landside of the transition joints,the cables would converge to a ductbank. There may also need to be a ground cableinstalled in the same ductbank as the phase cables, and there would need to bearmour/ground connections made between the three transition joint manholes.If the project proceeds, construction activities are scheduled to commence in early2007, with an in-service date of October 31, 2008.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment2Millennia Research Ltd2005

BackgroundFollowing is a brief discussion of the geological and cultural background of theOption 4 project area to provide context for the results and recommendations of thisarchaeological overview.Tsawwassen oral history states that the first man and his family floated downfrom the clouds to a mountain near Aggasiz, and saw an island out to sea that he chose asthe place to live (Bouchard and Kennedy 1991:110-112.) He then floated through the airto the island, landing at what is now English Bluffs. The oral history is clear about thechange in landforms through time from an island to a peninsula of the Fraser Delta. Thisaboriginal history is corroborated by recent studies of the Holocene geomorphology ofthe area (Ryder 1999). The Tsawwassen Uplands were originally an island (now calledRobert’s Island). At the north end of Roberts Island (Figure 1), a series of beaches andspits formed from suspended silts transported north and east by longshore currents alongthe bluffs of the Tsawwassen uplands, developed sequentially between 4000 and 900years before present (Preckel, et al. 1991; Ryder 1999). These three spits formed atdifferent times:Spit 1: ca 4000 to later than 2280 years BPSpit 2: Later than 2280 to ca 2000 years BPSpit 3: ca 2000 to ca 900 years BPBeach and spit progradation combined with delta formation to eventually mergeRoberts Island with the mainland, forming a peninsula between 3000 and 2500 years ago(Ryder 1999). This geological event provides a time-scale for the oral history, andillustrates the extreme longevity of First Nations origin stories. The connection with themainland halted the west-to-east migration of sediments along the north shore of RobertsIsland. The areas to the north of these spits evolved from a shallow channel, to tidal flatsor salt marsh, to a mix of wetter and dryer upland sites cut through by sloughs in the laterHolocene (Ryder 1999). While active, beach ridges would have been largelyunvegetated, while the swales between would be salt marsh or tidal flats. Delta flatsslightly above high tide would mostly be grasslands, with stands of crab-apple anddeciduous shrubs (Ryder 1999). Once inactive, higher, drier sites would be forested withDouglas-fir; moist sites would be treed in mixed coniferous and deciduous forest,dominated by cottonwoods; and depressions not affected by high tides would becomeshrub or cedar swamps (North, et al. 1979; Ryder 1999).The seaward spit was the site of the main Tsawwassen village at the time ofcontact. According to ethnographic accounts during the late eighteenth to early twentiethcenturies, longhouses were present at this site (Bouchard and Kennedy 1991). Additionalethnographic observations collated by Bouchard and Kennedy, in addition to theextensive research undertaken during the Tsawwassen Traditional Use study (Millette1998), relate directly to the VITR study area. Paraphrasing Bouchard and Kennedy(1991), very briefly, “Tsawwassen” is an anglicization of stseẃόthe, meaning ‘facing thewater’. In the late 1850s and 1860s, the Tsawwassen village had seven longhouses asVITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment3Millennia Research Ltd2005

5428000542900054300005431000492000Legendraised beachesStreamsancient coastal bluffsRoberts IslandSpitsarchaeological siteProposed Centreline" terminal/substation!. power pole49200049300043 2DgRs-2DgRs-2DgRs-11DgRs-94930001"494000495000496000Option 4"!.!.!.!.Tsawwassen SubDgRs-10 DgRs-1DgRs-47®1DgRs-7DgRs-44DgRs-44Segment 2DgRs-30DgRs-5 DgRs-36DgRs-54DgRs-30English Bluff TerminalDgRs-180.5 0.25 0 0.5Kilometers4940004950004960005428000542900054300005431000Figure 1: VITR Option 4 (Tsawwassen) with recorded archaeological sites and geological featuresVITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment4Millennia Research Ltd2005

well as a stockade.The water frontage of the Tsawwassen reserve was the location of a network ofintertidal fish traps, set specifically for sturgeon. The sturgeon trap, called tqep, consistedof large circular holding area of wooden stakes from which two diverging stake fenceswere built in the intertidal. As the tide receded, the fish were forced into the holding area,where they were harpooned from a canoe anchored adjacent to the trap (Bouchard andKennedy 1991). These were probably set into intertidal south-trending channels of majorsloughs that once crossed the delta just north of the present reserve. Wood stakes werestill visible in the early 1900s, but the specific location of these large traps are presentlyunknown. Wood stakes generally preserve very well in deltaic muds, so there is a highlikelihood of archaeological evidence for these features.The ethnographic sources support the archaeological data that the intertidal areafronting the Tsawwassen village was used for shellfish harvesting. Bouchard andKennedy’s (1991) informants indicated that horse clams, cockles, and blue mussels(available until the 1930’s), as well as crabs, were collected along the shoreline in theTsawwassen Village. Tsawwassen was also a well-known area to hunt waterfowl,primarily using duck nets (Bouchard and Kennedy 1991). Terrestrial mammals werehunted, including deer, which were often caught with pit traps (holes with two pointedstakes at the bottom, which were angled together slightly). Bears were also hunted,specifically on top of English Buff (Bouchard and Kennedy 1991).There is less information on plant foods, although there are specific references tothe collection of camas in the upland areas around the Tsawwassen Village. Camas, astarchy bulb, was an important source of carbohydrates in an otherwise protein-intensivediet. The salt marshes and bogs provided a wide variety of plant foods.DgRs-2Archaeological site DgRs-2 encompasses the three spits outlined above (Figure1). Harlan Smith, archaeologist with the Jesup North Pacific Expedition, first reported onthe Tsawwassen site after having conducted surveys and testing at Point Roberts andPoint Grey (Smith 1921). The Tsawwassen site was formally recorded as DgRs-2 byDon Abbott (Abbott 1961) with further information supplied by Kautz and Routley(1974), Kenny (1975), and Broderick and Gindl (1978). From 1988 to 1990, ArcasConsulting Archeologists conducted archaeological monitoring and impact assessment aspart of the BC Ferry terminal infrastructure development works (Stryd 1991). Thesearchaeological works along with ethnographic research undertaken by Bouchard andKennedy (1991) make DgRs-2 one of the best documented archaeological sites in theStrait of Georgia region.Paraphrasing Brolly, et al. (1999), DgRs-2 is a very large site, consisting of shellmidden deposits measuring about 425 m north-south by 630 m east-west, exceeding 5 min depth in places. As outlined above, geoarchaeological research indicates that the sitedeveloped on a sequence of sandy beach ridges that formed off the northern shoreline ofRoberts Island before it joined the prograding Fraser River Delta. Prior to this, extensive5VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview AssessmentMillennia Research Ltd2005

tidal flats would have been present immediately north of the site, but with successivedelta advance, successive beach ridges developed with increasingly acute angles relativeto the shoreline. A total of 36 radiocarbon dates from across the site provided a range of4260±60 to 210±55 years BP. As well, a large number of early historic (fur trade andsettlement) artifacts and more recent historic materials were recovered. These indicatethat Dgrs-2 has been occupied for the last five millennia, although not necessarilycontinuously.The majority of the precontact component of DgRs-2 represents traditionalshellfish harvesting and processing, as well as the exploitation of other littoral and nearshoreresources and terrestrial mammals such as deer, elk and bears. The southwesternportion of the site had a successive series of specialized herring fishing camps. Inaddition, portions of the Tsawwassen site appear to have functioned as cemeteriesthroughout time and there are convincing indications of Marpole-age spatial orderingwithin these cemeteries based on corporate group or lineage membership. Additionally,there is a Marpole Phase common grave (Brolly, et al. 1999).Several thousand artifacts have been collected from DgRs-2, many from the Arcasexcavation and monitoring (Brolly, et al. 1999). The precontact artifact assemblage wasdominated by chipped stone tools and debitage and most of the artifacts are utilitarian innature, likely associated with subsistence activities. These artifacts include harpoonpoints, composite toggling harpoons, projectile points and ground slate knives. Artifactsassociated with woodworking include hand mauls and celts, bone chisels and antlerwedges, hafts, and beaver incisors. Artifacts associated with tool manufacture includeabraders, hammer stones, sandstone saws, and bone awls and needles (Brolly, et al.1999). Artifacts associated with ritual use and personal adornment were occasionallyrecovered, including slate, siltstone and shell beads, a small stone bowl, a labret, blanketpins, bird bone whistles, zoomorphic bone carvings, a gaming piece, a complete pectinshell rattle, and unmodified nodules of hematite (Brolly, et al. 1999).According to the authors of the final Arcas report, indicating the significance ofthe remaining portions of DgRs-2:The Tsawwassen site is probably the largest shell midden site remaining in the Fraser Delta-Burrard Inlet area. Parts of the site have been destroyed or disturbed by residentialconstruction, utility line installation, and road construction, though it is clear that the mostimportant part of the site is substantially unaltered…Moreover, the sample of burialsrecovered from a relatively insignificant fraction of DgRs 2 suggests that hundreds, if notthousands, more doubtless exist in uninvestigated portions of the site. [Brolly, et al.1999:175]Option 4—Tsawwassen Archaeological PotentialBased on the results of the current study, Option 4 has 0.26 km of low, 0.9 km ofmoderate and 1.3 km of high archaeological potential (Figure 2). Briefly, archaeologicalpotential is based on the analysis of known archaeological sites within and immediatelyadjacent to the project area, as well as an evaluation of the potential for unrecorded sites.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment6Millennia Research Ltd2005

Determining the possibility for and location of unrecorded sites is based on many factors,including known site type distribution in the region, and geographic features such asshorelines, stream channels, and other landforms of archaeological significance. Thisdetermination takes into consideration that precontact land use and the physicallandforms within the study area have changed throughout time. Proximity to recordedsites and the potential for unrecorded sites is based on a qualitative scale, with areas closeto recorded sites or within immediate proximity to landforms with significant potentialfor archaeological sites classified as high. Areas near to but outside of recordedarchaeological site boundaries, and/or near to but outside of landforms of archaeologicalsignificance are classified as having moderate potential. All other areas are classified aslow potential. The results of the Option 4 archaeological overview and the rationale forthe determination of archaeological potential are discussed below.Option 4, Area A (Low Potential): The majority of the Ladner and lowlandTsawwassen area is comprised of undifferentiated deltaic silts deposited by theprograding Fraser River Delta during the mid to late Holocene. This delta wassubsequently crosscut by small stream channels and sloughs, which are of moderatearchaeological potential (Mathews 2005). None of these stream channels, however,intersects Area A and as such these undifferentiated deltaic deposits are of lowarchaeological potential due to their relatively young age, rapidly changing environmentand a lack of distinctive terrestrial or hydrological features.Option 4, Area B (Moderate Potential): The Fraser River Delta in the VITRproject area is generally of low archaeological potential, with the exception of the smallstream channels. This system of tidal and riverine streams and sloughs provided canoetransportation to most of the area and sheltered passages to access the Fraser River andBoundary Bay. In addition to their use as transportation routes, resources would havebeen extracted along these sloughs and waterways. Upland game (especially elk anddeer) and waterfowl would have been hunted, and these camps, butchering sites, orprocessing sites may be archaeologically detectable. Major facilities for catching largenumbers of waterfowl were built in precontact times (Bouchard and Kennedy 1991:154).These took the form of very large open mesh nets (made from nettle) that were suspendedbetween high poles along flyways at dusk. The poles, or the postholes if rotted, wouldmost likely be located on the margins of channels and streams. There could also becamps or resource processing facilities associated with this hunting. Although notspecifically mentioned by the ethnography, wood stake fish weirs for both salmon andsturgeon can be expected within the main and subsidiary channels of these sloughs. Suchsites often also accumulate a wet site midden of preserved organic cultural debris, such ascast-off or lost clothing and worn out baskets. The banks of the slough at such placescould be expected to contain lithic debris, small shell middens, and other sites associatedwith construction, maintenance, and operation of the facilities.Small campsites with lithics or small shell middens and possibly wet sites mightalso be associated with cranberry or other berry/resource extraction and would be morelikely to survive to the present. It seems likely that any facilities for harvesting orprocessing berry crops would occur near sloughs or streams, where canoe transport wasVITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment7Millennia Research Ltd2005

easiest.Ham (1998) has previously taken into account previous slough and streamlocations and the ethnographic record and compiled potential maps for the general area.Ham provided a wide buffer on the streams and sloughs both to indicate potential withina short distance from the waterways, and to account for mapping inaccuracies andchannel migration through time. Further, Millennia Research recently conducted anarchaeological overview and impact assessment for the proposed Deltaport expansion(Eldridge and Anaya 2004). Based on these assessments, areas with stream channelsintersecting them, such as Option 4 Area B, are of moderate archaeological potential.Option 4, Area C (High Potential): The northeastern portion of Option 4 Area C(Figure 1) is comprised of sand dune deposits projecting northeast from the recordedboundaries of archaeological site DgRs-2. Although there are no recorded archaeologicaldeposits on these features outside of the current boundaries of the Tsawwassen site, theselandforms were used extensively during the occupations at DgRs-2, and it is notunreasonable to expect that their use may extended northeast along these landformsoutside of the recorded site boundaries. Furthermore, the southwest portion of Option 4Area C intersects between a 90 m and 218 m long section of DgRs-2, which as previouslydiscussed, is a highly significant archaeological site. The impact assessment for DgRs-2and the rest of the VITR Option 4 is discussed in detail below.Impact AssessmentThe Tsawwassen site (DgRs-2) is one of the most significant archaeological sitesin the southern Strait of Georgia. It is a very large shell midden site, exceeding 5 m indepth in places, and is the physical remains of more than 4000 years of occupation. Thesite has significant artifact assemblages, features, and the demonstrated potential for alarge number of human burials (Stryd 1991). Option 4 is in direct conflict with DgRs-2and depending upon the exact alignment and method of construction, will impact avariable amount of the site. As proposed, Option 4 is an underground cable that will runon either side of Highway 17, although the required vaults along the cable ducts could beplaced to avoid archaeological sites. If the VITR ran parallel to the north side of thehighway, an approximate 90 m section of known DgRs-2 deposits would be impacted.On the south side of the highway, approximately 218 m of midden would be impacted.Based on the dimensions of the trench (1.5 m wide, 2 to 3 m deep) for the cable ductbank, this could be as much as 405 m 3 and 981 m 3 of sediments removed respectively,most of which would likely be shell midden deposits. This level of disturbanceconstitutes a significant and irreparable impact to this important site. If a series of stonecolumns are constructed through vibro-densification methods to withstand liquefactionand ground displacement, and in order to meet seismic building code standards, thecorridor of disturbance would be about 4 m wide and 8 m deep, and almost triple thevolume of disturbance to the known shell midden deposits. The density of burials insouth coastal middens can vary widely, but up to 0.13 burials per cubic metre is common(Eldridge 1990, 2005). Such a density could result in the disturbance of up to about 250VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment8Millennia Research Ltd2005

5430000543100054320004920000.4 0.2 0 0.4Kilometers492000493000Option 4 CDgRs-2DgRs-2DgRs-11DgRs-9493000494000DgRs-59Option 4 B494000495000!.!.®11 E!.!.!.!.Option 4 A"!.Tsawwassen Sub!.DgRs-472 ADgRs-10 DgRs-1DgRs-44Roberts Island DgRs-44Spits2 BRiver/StreamLake/ReservoirArchaeological siteLegendProposed VITR Centreline" terminal/substationArchaeologicalPotentialhigh DgRs-30DgRs-5lowmoderateancient coastal bluffs!. power poleGF heritage wrecksDgRs-54 DgRs-3049500054320005431000Figure 2: VITR Option 4 (Tsawwassen) archaeological potential5430000VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment9Millennia Research Ltd2005

human burials in the volume required for stone column construction necessary forseismic ground improvement works in this portion of the lower Fraser River delta. TheArcas excavations and construction monitoring uncovered 104 burials and 1086 scatteredhuman remains (Arcas Consulting Archeologists Ltd. 1994).If unrecorded archaeological remains occur along the proposed route, thepotential for impacts is high and the impacts would likely be severe.Option 4 could also result in significant impacts to potential intertidalarchaeological sites and features. As outlined in the proposed development section of thisreport, there is significant construction activity in the intertidal and nearshoreenvironments associated with the proposed Option 4 project. Of particular concern, thereare several ethnographic references to intertidal sturgeon traps offshore of theTsawwassen village (Bouchard and Kennedy 1991), which are discussed in theBackground section of this report. Considering the waterlogged and potentially anaerobicenvironment of the tidal flats fronting Tsawwassen, the preservation of these woodenfeatures is a distinct possibility. Other extant and significant intertidal wooden fish trapshave been identified elsewhere on the southern coast of British Columbia, such as at thenearby Glenrose Cannery site (Eldridge 1991; Eldridge and Acheson 1992) and theComox Bay fish weir complex (Greene 2005). Although it is somewhat unclear from theethnographic accounts where the Tsawwassen sturgeon traps were specifically located,the intertidal portion of Option 4 cable installation could impact these important featuresif they are present.Conclusions and RecommendationsOption 4 is not preferred compared to other VITR route options due to the highpotential for disturbing and impacting both known and as-yet unknown unrecordedarchaeological sites and features, including significant numbers of human burials. If thisroute option is chosen, then an AIA will be necessary under a Section 14 Site InspectionPermit, almost certainly followed by Data Recovery under a Section 14 Site InvestigationPermit or a Section 12 Site Alteration Permit. Substantial lead-time will be necessary toaddress permit application, data recovery, community relations, and First Nationsconsultation. Furthermore, cultural conflict between the pressures of moderndevelopment and the protection of archaeological sites is an unresolved issue in BritishColumbia. It is clear, however, that First Nation’s communities have a deep-rootedinterest in the protection of their ancient heritage; archaeological sites are a fundamentalpart of their cultural heritage and identity.Projects similar to the VITR Option 4 in southwestern British Columbia andWashington State involving disturbance to archaeological sites have resulted in lengthyand expensive mitigative data recovery, project delays, and/or legal action. Projecttermination also resulted in the Washington State Department of Transportationconstruction at the Port Angeles Graving Dock, on top of the former Elwha KlallamVITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment10Millennia Research Ltd2005

village site of Tse-whit-zen. The project was terminated in 2004 at a cost of $50 milliondollars after 260 complete human burials and 700 partial burials were disturbed duringconstruction. A similar scenario played out in 1994 at the proposed Craig Bay Estates onVancouver Island when the Nanoose First Nation protested a resort development thatresulted in 400 burials being disturbed.Lastly, based on Section 12(2)(b) of the Heritage Conservation Act, the ministermay refuse to issue a Site Alteration Permit that would allow disturbance to anarchaeological site with the significance of the Tsawwassen site in light of other VITRoptions that would almost certainly result in less severe impacts to recordedarchaeological sites.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment11Millennia Research Ltd2005

References CitedAbbott, D. N.1961 DgRs-2 Archaeological Site Form. Form on file at the Archaeology andRegistry Services Branch.Arcas Consulting Archeologists Ltd.1994 Archaeological Investigations at Tsawwassen, B.C., Vol. 2. Report on filewith the Ministry of Sustainable Resources.Bouchard, R. and D. Kennedy1991 Tsawwassen ethnography and ethnohistory. In ArchaeologicalInvestigations at Tsawwassen, BC. vol. 1. Arcas Consulting Archeologists Ltd.Prepared for Construction Branch, South Coast Region, Ministry ofTransportation and Highways, Burnaby BC. Conducted in accordance withpermits 1989-41 and 1990-2 issued pursuant to the Heritage Conservation Act.,Coquitlam.Broderick, M. and R. Gindl1978 DgRs-2 Archaeological Site Inventory Form. Report on file at theArchaeology and Registry Services Branch.Brolly, R., B. Chisholm, S. Crockford, J. Curtin, G. Howe, H. Pratt, J. Ryder, A. Strydand R. Wigen1999 Volume IV: Archaeological Investigations at Tsawwassen, B.C. ArcasConsulting Archeologists Ltd.Eldridge, M.1990 Willows Beach, DcRt-10, Impact Assessment of East Coast Interceptor.Report on file at the Archaeology and Registry Services Branch.1991 The Glenrose Cannery Wet Component: A Significance Assessment.Report on file at the Archaeology and Registry Services Branch.2005 Expert Witness evidence. In Environmental Appeal Board. APPEALNOS. 2003-WAS-021(b), 2003-WAS-022(a), 2003-WAS-023(a) In the matter ofappeals under section 44 of the Waste Management Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 482.,Victoria, BC.Eldridge, M. and S. Acheson1992 The Antiquity of Fish Weirs on the Southern Coast: A Response to Moss,Erlandson and Stuckenrath. Canadian Journal of Archaeology 16:112-116.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment12Millennia Research Ltd2005

Greene, N. A.2005 A New Angle on Northwest Coast Fish Trap Technologies: GIS TotalStation Mapping of Intertidal Wood-Stake Features at Comox Harbour, B.C. In38th Annual Canadian Archaeological Association Conference, Nanaimo.Ham, L1998 Archaeological Site Potential, Roberts Bank backup Lands. Delta, BC.Report on file at the Archaeology and Registry Services Branch.Kautz, F. S. and B. Routley1974 DgRs-2 Archaeological Site Inventory Form. Original form on file at theArchaeology and Registry Services Branch.Kenny, R.1975 An Archaeological Resource Survey in the Lower Mainland of BritishColumbia. Report on file at the Archaeology and Registry Services Branch.Mathews, D.2005 Vancouver Island Transmission Reinforcement Project: AnArchaeological Overview Assessment. Report on file at the Archaeology and RegistryServices Branch.Millette, D. M.1998 Reconstructing Culture: A Traditional Use Study of the Tsawwassen FirstNation. Report on file at the Tsawwassen First Nation.North, M., M. W. Dunn and J. M. Teversham1979 Vegetation of the southwestern Fraser Lowland, 1858-1880 [map].Environment Canada, Lands Directorate, Vancouver.Preckel, K. S., J. Ryder and A. Stryd1991 Environmental and archaeological background. In ArchaeologicalInvestigations at Tsawwassen, BC, edited by A. C. A. Ltd., pp. 75-96. vol. I. IVvols. Arcas Consulting Archeologists Ltd. Prepared for Construction Branch,South Coast Region, Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Burnaby BC.Conducted in accordance with permits 1989-41 and 1990-2 issued pursuant to theHeritage Conservation Act., Coquitlam, BC.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment13Millennia Research Ltd2005

Ryder, J.1999 Geomorphology and environmental history of DgRs 2. In Archaeologicalinvestigationsd at Tsawwassen, BC, edited by A. C. A. Ltd., pp. 7-14. vol. IV. IVvols. Arcas Consulting Archeologists Ltd. Prepared for Construction Branch,South Coast Region, Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Burnaby BC.Conducted in accordance with permits 1989-41 and 1990-2 issued pursuant to theHeritage Conservation Act., Coquitlam, BC.Smith, H. I.1921 Field Notes and Papers. Archaeology Archives Microfilm M82-82.Stryd, A.1991 The Tsawwassen site (DgRs 2). In Archaeological Investigations atTsawwassen, BC, pp. 7-24. vol. I. Arcas Consulting Archeologists Ltd. Preparedfor Construction Branch, South Coast Region, Ministry of Transportation andHighways, Burnaby BC. Conducted in accordance with permits 1989-41 and1990-2 issued pursuant to the Heritage Conservation Act., Coquitlam, BC.VITR Option 4Archaeological Overview Assessment14Millennia Research Ltd2005