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FRIDAY
THE FINALISTS ARE REVEALED ON PAGE A16
JUNE 28, 2019 | Volume 32 No. 52
AIRPORT TURNS 80
Fulton Field is celebrating a milestone birthday this year. Read all about it inside today’s edition of KTW B1-B4
BOLD STANCE
Arjun Singh is ready to lose an election over climate change A3
CHARLIE’S BILL
Can you help cover cost of rescue kitten’s hip surgery? A12
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ANCESTRAL REMAINS FOUND ON WEST VICTORIA Crews working on the West Victoria Street reconstruction project have discovered human remains that pre-date European arrival in the area. The site where the remains were found has been cordoned off and will have security watching over it. DAVE EAGLES/KTW
JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
A buffer zone has been set up around an archeological site on West Victoria Street after construction crews discovered what the city is calling a “significant find” on Wednesday morning. City of Kamloops capital projects manager Darren Crundwell told KTW the discovery of ancestral human remains dating to before European settlement was made at about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday in the middle of the West Victoria Street reconstruction project. It’s not the first time artifacts have been found during the construction project, which began in April in one of the oldest areas of the city. Items previously discovered include glass bottles and a portion of a tool. However, Wednesday’s discovery is different. “It’s a significant find,” Crundwell said. He said when the remains were discovered, crews immediately
stopped work. The RCMP, Tk’emlups te Secwépemc (TteS) and Golder Associates were called in to control the site and it was determined the origin of the remains
are not modern. Crundwell said the exact age of the remains is not yet known, but he said it was confirmed they date back to preEuropean settlement in the area.
“They just know based on what they see that it’s not modern,” Crundwell said, noting soil is taken into consideration. The area is cordoned off and security has been put in place at the site
where the remains were found. The city said it is committed to following the Heritage Conservation Act and working with TteS to protect cultural heritage.
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The city and Tk’emlups were scheduled to meet on Thursday afternoon. Crundwell said among top priorities is protecting the site. “We’re asking the public to respect how this is going to get dealt with,” he said. Asked if this will slow the West Victoria Street project, Crundwell said: “At this time, no.” He said crews will take the weekend off and noted the city had anticipated the potential for archeological discovery in the area. “We appreciate the immediate actions taken by the project team and are fully aware of the steps that have been taken, which are in line with our policies,” Tk’emlups Chief Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir said in a release.