Construction activities have been suspending following the discovery of what are believed to be Musqueam artifacts.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has voluntarily suspended construction activities on the southern half of Sea Island, encompassing its South Airfield, following the discovery of artifacts on the site. The Musqueam Indian Band, the local First Nations band government, was notified and the artifacts have been sent to an archaeology and heritage lab for technical assessment.
“YVR is located on Sea Island, which is the traditional, unceded, and continuously occupied territory of Musqueam. This archaeological discovery demonstrates the longstanding and continued tie between Musqueam people and their ancestral territories. For this reason, finding these artifacts is not unexpected and something we plan for together with Musqueam.
“We are committed to the protection of these artifacts and will continue to work with Musqueam to inform our current and future actions,” said Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO at Vancouver Airport Authority, operator of Vancouver International Airport.
“Musqueam – our elders, knowledge holders, and staff – will work together with YVR to do the right thing. We recognise this is an important process and are committed to continuing to walk this path together with YVR,” said yəχʷyaχʷələq, (Chief Wayne Sparrow), Musqueam Indian Band.
As part of the airport’s Sustainability and Friendship Agreement, Musqueam and YVR identify and protect archaeological resources. This includes using historic and recent maps of Sea Island to safeguard key areas of archaeological interest and outline protocols for chance finds and how they will be handled.
Image: Vancouver International Airport
