Woodland Heritage Services

Woodland Heritage Services provides professional cultural heritage resource management services (archaeology consulting and professional licensed archaeologists) and conducts archaeological and historical research throughout Ontario. Our collective 50+ years experience conducting archaeology and delivering cultural resource management and our leading-edge technological expertise as archaeologists, positions Woodland Heritage Services as the premier archaeological and cultural heritage management firm in Ontario.

Woodland Heritage Services (WHS) was founded early in 1999 by two archaeologists with decades of archaeology experience in Northern Ontario. We are archeological specialists in providing cultural heritage and archaeological management services for First Nations, the forest and mining industry, the transportation industry and the energy sector. Our archaeological and archaeology skills are equally well placed on large scale projects as they are on more modest developments which require an archaeologist to conduct heritage resource assessments. We have a keen understanding of the challenges of conducting archaeology in the north. We are as comfortable doing archaeology from a canoe as we are from a helicopter.

Our first priority as archeologists is to work with our clients to ensure that cultural heritage and archaeological resources are protected by meeting all legal requirements.

WHS archaeologists are experts in archaeological assessments associated with renewable energy projects in Ontario. We have extensive experience conducting surveys and providing advice related to wind farms, solar farms, small and large scale new hydro-electric developments and, small and large scale hydro-electric project upgrades. We worked on some of the first wind farms in Ontario in 2003 and more recently, we have been involved in new solar, hydro-electric, wind projects and the redevelopment of many existing hydro-electric facilities in the province. (And we don't shy away from projects that are remote or far from a hotel room).

Key Strengths:

recognized as archaeologists with international expertise in cultural heritage resource management and cultural heritage resource assessment;

leading-edge technological approaches to cultural heritage and archaeology management, specifically in computer modelling of cultural heritage and archaeological site potential;

intimate knowledge of the place of cultural heritage management in the forest management planning process in Ontario and an unparalleled grasp of Canadian and Provincial cultural heritage legislation and policy and its effect on cultural heritage regulatory requirements, specifically with the generation of Native Values Background Reports, Reports on the Protection of Native Values and ensuring compliance with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource's Cultural Heritage Resource Guidelines, the Ontario Forest Management Planning Manual and the Class EA for Timber Management in Ontario as well as the Ontario Aggregate Resources Act and the Ontario Heritage Act;

WHS staff have over 50+ years experience doing archaeology and being archaeologists - surveying, discovering, excavating archaeological sites, and providing advice regarding cultural heritage resources in Ontario and other regions of Canada.

WHS staff have an excellent working relationship with First Nations in Ontario and have performed archaeological and cultural heritage work for First Nations Communities and First Nations Organizations.