Executive Administrative Assistant / Office Manager

Heritage Resources Impact Assessments

In Saskatchewan, The Heritage Property Act protects archaeological sites because they offer cultural and scientific awareness into our past that can be studied and shared with the people of Saskatchewan through our education system and museums.  In Saskatchewan, we have over 13,000 years of human occupation (in comparison the Pyramids of Egypt are approximately 5,000 years old) and although we do not have pyramids or temples, we do have archaeological sites that have arguably just as much scientific and cultural value even if they aren’t as noticeable on the landscape.  This is why Heritage Resources Impact Assessments (HRIAs) are important. 

The Heritage Conservation Branch (HCB) determines if a HRIA is required for Projects (e.g. well sites, flowlines, roads, gravel pits, infrastructure, seismic, power, mines) in Saskatchewan.  If a HRIA is required, it is the Proponent’s responsibility to hire a heritage consultant to assess the proposed development to determine if any archaeological sites are in potential conflict.  If an archaeological site is discovered in conflict with the Project, it is the archaeologist’s job to evaluate the significance of the archaeological site and to determine suitable mitigation measures.  Avoidance is often recommended as a preferred mitigation method; however, in some instances if avoidance cannot be maintained, a mitigation (e.g. archaeological excavation) will be required in order to extract as much information from the archaeological site as possible before the Project can proceed. 

If your Project has a HRIA requirement, please contact Atlheritage (306-370-9972) to ensure your Project receives the expertise it requires.

Cemetery Management

Atlheritage believes cemeteries are an important part of our history. Cemetery management is crucial to preserving our history, commemorating our ancestors, and planning for future interments and cemetery use. When properly managed and commemorated, cemeteries can provide a sense of pride within communities and be a key tool for genealogical research.

Unfortunately, many cemeteries have no formal plans or current maps, poor burial records and unmarked graves, making future interments and management of the cemetery problematic.

The average cemetery on the Prairies has been in use for approximately 100 years. In the early days, graves were often marked with wood crosses and rocks. As time passes and without continued maintenance,  wood crosses rot and grave markers might be moved  to allow for easy maintenance of the cemetery. Eventually, these graves become forgotten and unmarked.

Since 2015, Atlheritage has completed several Cemetery Management Projects using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to identify unmarked graves.  Based on our past Projects, we estimate that up to 25% of the total graves located within each cemetery are unmarked graves.  In addition to our GPR services, we accurately map and record all marked graves and have the capacity to create user-friendly databases to correspond with detailed maps that illustrate all of the marked graves and unmarked graves within the Cemetery. 

If you have a question about unmarked graves or require a current map and database of your cemetery, please contact Atlheritage.