01/07/2026
🎉 Happy New Year! Kick off 2026 with three captivating Chapter talks! All are welcome to attend.
📍 London Chapter
📅 Jan 8, 2026 @ 7:30pm via Zoom
Dr. Lisa Sonnenburg (OAS President & CRM Advisor for Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area)
"Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Shipwrecks! The Submerged History of Industrialization in the Great Lakes"
Abstract:
Underwater archaeology is most commonly associated with shipwrecks, and more recently, early Holocene submerged archaeological landscapes have been garnering more attention. However, there is a whole other range of underwater archaeological sites in the Great Lakes that garner less attention but are no less interesting. The Great Lakes and its associated watercourses have been a vital route of transportation since deglaciation. For thousands of years, activities such as trade, mining, hunting and fishing have all relied on these waterbodies, which would eventually become industrialized after the arrival of European settlers. While shipwrecks provide a partial view of the changes in transportation and trade as a result of industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Great Lakes also holds the remains of other forms of transportation and its associated infrastructure. Submerged trains, cars, planes, docks, wharves and bridges can provide additional insight into changes in landscape, economies and culture of the Great Lakes region over the past two hundred years.
🔗 Register here: https://buff.ly/OC0r6gj
📍 Grand River Chapter
📅 Jan 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm via Zoom
Jacquie Fisher (Fisher Archaeological Consulting)
"CRM Archaeology from a Long History Perspective"
Abstract:
History has always been taught as a generally linear concept, with events and people taking the stage and then exiting, never to be seen again. Much the same could be said concerning archaeology, and especially with CRM Archaeology in Ontario. So much time is based running from project to project, that the bigger pictures of what happened in the past have been lost or obscured. A Western perspective on time, history, nature, and the universe has masked or hidden other ways of perspectives. This talk will examine how CRM, landscape archaeology in Ontario, and First Nations, specifically within Bruce County, and how everything is really intertwined, and what has gone before is actually still with us.
✉️ Zoom link emailed to members; others please contact [email protected]
📍 Ottawa Chapter
📅 Jan 15, 2026 @ 7:00pm via Zoom
Shauna Huculak, M.A., RPCA
"So You're Gonna Use What? Hydrovac Use Managing Risk, Maintaining Control in areas of Archaeological Sensitivity"
Abstract:
Hydrovacs are the go-to solution for safe excavation near utilities, but what happens when your project is in an area of archaeological sensitivity? This session dives into practical strategies for planning ahead, setting clear limits, and guiding operators to minimize impacts on cultural deposits. We’ll explore how to balance technical requirements, permit conditions, and cultural values through collaboration with First Nations and project teams. Real-world examples reveal where hydrovacs help, where they create risk, and how to keep archaeological integrity at the forefront of fast-paced construction.
🔗 Register here: http://www.ottawaoas.ca/chapnews.htm
