shíshálh Nation issued a cease work order to the new Sechelt Legion development on Inlet avenue on Aug 1.
According to the cease and desist letter issued by the Nation, the construction had violated the Heritage Conservation Act of British Columbia.
The site, located at the Royal Canadian Legion #140 on 5546 Inlet Avenue, is inside the recorded archaeological site DiRw-39.
All archaeological sites in B.C are protected, requiring consultation and an archaeological monitor to be present during all ground disturbances and development.
Work was immediately stopped when the letter was received, Bill McLean, president of the Royal Canadian Legion, Sechelt branch said. He explained that this was a mistake on their end. “We clearly did something wrong, and we need to work now to see what we can do to get this fixed,” he said.
According to McLean, digging was being done on the site on Sunday, July 30 by SCRD employees, along with archaeological monitors.
When the team working on the Legion development resumed work on Tuesday, Aug 1, all that was left to do was to tie the existing waterline into the new water meter that had been installed.
It was anticipated that they could work in the ground that had already been disturbed, said McLean.
However, since the extension was classified as a new dig, an archaeological monitor must be present.
McLean explained that they are focused on remedying this mistake, and have been in regular contact with shíshálh Nation and the archeology department.
“We've been working together, collaboratively, collegially to make sure that we do this the right way. We certainly had no intention to violate the law or the archaeology requirements of the nation's territory,” McLean said.
Since work stopped, McLean has met with SCRD representatives and the chief archaeologist of the area.
The project will be able to finish the plumbing work once an archaeological monitor can be on site.
In a followup email, McLean updated Coast Reporter that the earliest In Situ would be able to have an archaeologist on site will be Wednesday, Aug 16.
shíshálh Nation declined to comment for the story.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
