Archaeological Investigations of Ecological Crimes

Student Name: Scott Normand

School: Carleton University

Degree Program: M.Arch

Location of Project: Victoria Island - Ottawa, ON

Year of Project: 2019

Brief Description of Project:

Exploring intersects between archaeology and remediation aims to expose the troubled past of a highly industrialized landscape from Ottawa’s past by investigating relics within the site.

Relic 1 - Site of vertical ecological crimes. The Ottawa Electric Railway Steam Plant operated at the turn of the century transforming water into electricity via coal boilers. This process produces fly-ash as a by-product, which contains metallic contaminants. The vertical history of the site requires a vertical investigation, centred around the three former boiler locations, and taking advantage of the synthetic geologies of the rock climbing gym that remain in the building from its more recent history. Vertical digging with newly designed dexterous tools, vertical sifting of dirt, and vertical cataloguing of artifacts are the stages of this investigation.

Relic 2 - Site of horizontal ecological crimes. The Wilson Carbide Company manufactured Calcium Carbide at the site of Relic 3. In the process, ingredients and product were continuously transported down the spine of the island. This transportation process produces oil and gas run-off contaminates. The horizontal history of the site requires a horizontal investigation, digging out between the fingers of the relic, which is placed over the historic location of Middle Street. Horizontal digging with newly designed dexterous tools and under temporary spray foam shelters, horizontal processing and incineration, and horizontal cataloguing as extensions of the relic’s fingers are the stages of this investigation.