Ghostpine provides a comprehensive range of archaeological, historical, palaeontological and Aboriginal consultation services.
Our mandate is to protect heritage resources while obtaining regulatory clearance as fast and as efficiently as possible for our clients. The Heritage Resources, GIS, and Documentation team work together to quickly complete all projects in order to facilitate clearance.
Ghostpine has the in-house expertise required to obtain Historical Resource Act clearance in Alberta, Heritage Property Act clearance in Saskatchewan and Heritage Conservation Act clearance in British Columbia.
Ghostpine provides the following heritage services:
Historical Resources Overview (HRO)
An overview is a desktop analysis of a development area. The HRO will provide background data which can be useful in choosing development locations or during initial planning for large projects. The HRO will include information on known historic resources and the potential for locating new historic resources.
Historical Resources Impact Assessment (HRIA)
An HRIA is normally required when a development is going to impact an area with known historic resources or an area that has the potential to contain such resources. Each province has a different method of measuring the potential impacts of new development. For example, Alberta uses the Listing of Historic Resources in regulating most small-scale oil and gas development.
The HRIA will involve four stages;
- obtain a permit from the provincial regulator
- conduct fieldwork
- compile a report and submit it to the regulator
- apply for Act clearance
Historical Resources Impact Mitigation (HRIM)
HRIMs are required when a proposed development is going to impact a significant historic site. Controlled scientific excavation of the site is normally required prior to development to obtain a sample of the cultural material. Once the provincial regulator determines that the sample collected is sufficient they issue clearance.
Historical Resource Act Clearance (HRC)
When a proposed development is going to impact an area determined to be of low historic potential clearance can often be obtained via a desktop evaluation and clearance application to provincial regulators.
Deep Testing
Areas with the potential to contain deeply buried historic resources, like river valleys and sand dunes, normally require mechanical methods like a backhoe.
Aboriginal Consultation
Ghostpine works with several Aboriginal communities to conduct Traditional Land Use and Traditional Knowledge Studies. Aboriginal consultation guidelines differ by province and for federally regulated developments.
Construction Monitoring
Ghostpine has trained personnel who can monitor construction so that all environmental and historic regulations are followed.
Post-Construction Impact Assessments
In some rare cases, provincial regulators will give provisional clearance for developments when an HRIA is not possible. This normally requires a Post-Construction Field Assessment.
Expert testimony
Ghostpine can provide expert testimony regarding provincial and federal clearance (e.g. NEB).
