1.1.1 Introduction

A Stage 1 and 2 archaeological assessment was conducted for a parcel of land (roughly 0.34 ha or 0.85 ac) located at 3496 Sandwich Street in the City of Windsor, Ontario. The subject property is located within the south part of Lot 16, Plan 40, in the Geographic Township of Sandwich, formerly Essex County, now the City of Windsor. In the winter of 2020, LandSolutions, on behalf of TELUS, contracted Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants Inc. (TMHC) to carry out a Stage 1-2 archaeological assessment for a proposed TELUS cell tower as part of the site plan approval process conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act and Provincial Policy Statement. The work was also in keeping with the City of Windsor’s Archaeological Master Plan (CRM Group et al. 2005), a guide for assessing potential archaeological impacts in land use planning in the City of Windsor. The purpose of the Stage 1 archaeological assessment was to establish whether there was potential for archaeological resources to exist, with the purpose of the Stage 2 assessment being to determine if any were present within the property.

All archaeological consulting activities were performed under the Professional Archaeological License of Sherri Pearce (P316) and in accordance with the Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists (MHSTCI 2011). Permission to enter the property and carry out all required archaeological activities, including collecting artifacts if found, was given by Brenden Smith of LandSolutions.

1.1.2 Purpose and Legislative Context

The Ontario Heritage Act makes provisions for the protection and conservation of heritage resources in the Province of Ontario. Heritage concerns are recognized as a matter of provincial interest in Section 2.6.2 of the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) which states: