Surrey Now reports today, “The man in charge of the South Fraser Perimeter Road project (Ministry of Transportation official Geoff Freer) says the four-lane expressway will pass over or alongside sites that are considered to be archaeologically significant along River Road in North Delta. …Seven environmentally sensitive streams are in its way, as well as two important First Nations archaeological sites in Sunbury – St. Mungo and Glenrose – where remnants of 4,500-year-old log posts from a fish weir still jut out from the Fraser’s shoreline.”
A government archaeology and environmental assessment report has stated the site contains human remains. The site was the home of a historical fishing village and is believed to contain middens with artefacts from three different Coast Salish First Nations cultural periods dating back 5,000 years.
On Friday, Delta North NDP MLA Guy Gentner said the British Columbia government had changed its plans and wouldn’t pave over the archaeological sites. “But according to Freer, the government has always intended to protect the sites and ‘nothing has really changed… We basically avoid most of the deposit.'”
This is confusing given the matter was heard in the BC Supreme Court on August 30. The Delta Optimist reported then, “In May, Tsawwassen First Nation member Bertha Williams and William Burnstick, of the Cree Sioux First Nations, filed a civil suit in Vancouver Supreme Court against the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Minister of the Environment, and the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations claiming the road ‘go through a number of burial sites that are of spiritual and sacred significance’. …Williams and Burnstick claim construction of the road will cause irreparable harm to sacred burial grounds. …They claim the government was well aware the highway project would have an impact on archaeological and burial sites but took no steps to modify or redesign the plans.”
The Journal of Commerce reported in early-June, “The plaintiffs are seeking an interim injunction to stop the project and ongoing construction of the SFPR, so the sacred burial sites can be protected.”
The highway is scheduled to be completed in 2013.
The Council of Canadians has been a vocal opponent against the South Fraser Perimeter Road. More on that at http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?s=south+fraser+perimeter+road.