The Friends of Chat Falls, a heritage and environmental conservation group based in the Municipality of Pontiac (MoP) MRC des Collines and others to start the work on a long-term archeology project in the area.

Called the Archéo-Pontiac project, the first stage will focus itself on . . .

preliminary work, namely mapping out sites where future digs will take place.

This first stage will take place over 15 months starting this September and ending in December 2023 and consists of documenting, inventorying, promoting and protecting the archaeological resources of the MoP, according to a press release.

This preliminary stage is a part of a larger five-year project that will lead to the development of a public archaeology program in the MoP. The organizers expect the project to also go on a lot longer.

One of the first orders of business will be to hire an archeologist, according to Maude Lambert, a historian and technical advisor on the project.

This archaeologist will then have to map out areas of interest, including the six potential sites identified in past archeological surveys, according to Lambert. Once that work is complete, the project can move on to the actual excavations.

“We don’t know what we are going to find. The archaeologists who worked on the area in the past mostly found artifacts from the historical period. So, early 19th century and late 18th century,” Lambert said about what they expected to find.

However given that sites they will be looking at also found had tens of thousands of years of Indignous occupation of the area, there will potentially be far older discoveries.

Lambert went on to say that she was excited about what she can learn as a historian, as much of the history of the area comes from second-hand sources. Archeological discoveries on the other hand give a more direct view of what happened in the past.

The sooner the project begins the better, as the more the Ottawa River floods, the more of its past is potentially lost due to erosion, according to Lambert.

Aubrey Lapointe, grade six teacher at the Immeuble Sainte-Marie says she is excited for the school and her students to be involved in the project.

“It’s going to bring students closer to their history, heritage and culture,’’ said Lapointe. “It’s really like they’re discovering their own territory. They are going to know what happened here and that is going to be a lot more meaningful to them. I really believe that knowing more about where you live and its history will make you proud of where you live, and who you are,” said Lapointe.

Lapointe also added that projects like this link the school to the community, which is also very important to her.

The press release announcing the project stated that the project “will contribute to the advancement of prehistoric and historical knowledge of the area, as well as promoting those resources and increasing the population and access to cultural heritage.”

The funding from the MRC des Collines comes through the Cultural Development Fund (FDC), which itself comes through the Entente de développement culturel signed between the MRC and the Ministry of culture and communications of Quebec. The MoP and the office of MNA André Fortin have also provided financial support for the project, according to the press release.

If you would like to volunteer or get involved in the project, you are encouraged to reach out to the Friends of Chats Falls on their Facebook page.

An anchor from the Quio Boom on the banks of the Ottawa River. Submitted by: Maude-Emmanuelle Lambert.

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