When it comes to residential development, the city of Rimouski is targeting one of the oldest locations that bears witness to the presence of the First Nations in Quebec. This is what the five-year development and renovation plan provides for.
The plan, accessible online, identifies around thirty areas with potential to host real estate projects. Rimouski is experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis.
These areas include the land where excavations in 1991 uncovered thousands of artifacts belonging to the cultural nomads of Plano. These ancestors of today’s Aborigines lived at least temporarily in Rimouski more than 9,000 years ago to hunt and fish for caribou.
And there are still thousands upon thousands of artifacts on site, confirms archaeologist Claude Chapdelaine, the same person who led the work 32 years ago.
It would be a huge mistake to build here, adds the professor emeritus of the anthropology department at the University of Montreal.
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The sector identified for development is shown in yellow. Projected streets even appear on the Surveyor General of Quebec’s map. The city of Rimouski says it doesn’t know why and has requested those roads be removed.
Photo: Radio-Canada
It’s a real lack of respect for the community, counters Terry Shaw, the leader of the Mi’gmaq of Gespeg. Their ancestral territory merges with that of the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk in the Rimouski sector.
There is no point in pursuing development when you know there is something underground. We may not have ownership rights over this area, but we do have rights that are recognized and that give us certain powers.
Article 11 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ratified by Canada and legally valid since 2021, states that they have in particular the right to preserve, protect and develop past, present and future manifestations of their culture, such as archaeological sites.
There are currently no concrete projects at the site, but a few months ago a Rimouski businessman purchased two of the four parcels of land that make up the forgotten archaeological site.
Marc Pigeon, owner of Technipro, a construction company, was unaware of the rich history of his new property before Radio-Canada called. There is no mention of this in the notarial deed of the transaction.
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Some artifacts found in Rimouski in 1991 are 9,000 years old. Since their discovery they have never been exhibited in the region. They are still in the care of the University of Montreal, but will soon be transferred to the Quebec government’s reserve in Quebec.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Mr. Pigeon describes the project he expects for these areas as still in its infancy and says he would like to learn more about it.
The city confirmed to us that developers have shown interest in developing real estate on these properties for at least 30 years. In addition, projected streets appear on the Arpenteur du Québec map.
If there is no pressure, they will do it (build), no one will know about it and when it happens we will scream and say: “My God, how come we didn’t warn?”
Although in principle anyone who finds archaeological artifacts must notify the ministry, for example when building a road, this does not guarantee the preservation of the site, fears archaeologist Claude Chapdelaine.
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There are currently no concrete projects at the site, but a few months ago a Rimouski businessman purchased two of the four parcels of land that make up the forgotten archaeological site.
Photo: AFP / Sébastien Ross
We at the city defend ourselves by saying that the area is not classified as a priority. It shows a will, yes, but not automatic permission, says Mayor Guy Caron.
All decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, all limitations are taken into account when making the development decision.
A page forgotten by everyone
Surprisingly, the development and redevelopment plan mentions that the conservation potential of the site is non-existent. However, when it was discovered in 1991, it was the oldest archaeological site in Quebec.
Before today, no one in the town of Rimouski seemed to know this country’s rich past. The city’s city map, the last version of which dates from 2014, is completely silent on this matter.
We had no information, simply admits the director of the urban planning department, Jean-Phillip Murray.
The 2014 city plan also identified this sector for future development. When city officials revised the analysis in 2022 and 2023, no one raised their hand and mentioned that it might be difficult to build homes on a native archaeological site.
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The excavations from 1991. Today the motorway entrance would be visible in the background.
Photo: Radio-Canada
Everyone sleeps peacefully as long as the construction site is not endangered. The site is in danger there, complains archaeologist Claude Chapdelaine. But as a positive person, he hopes the city hears the message this time.
Archeology is often presented with a fait accompli. There is currently no fait accompli.
Whose responsibility?
It’s not just the city that hasn’t protected the archaeological site, but also the Quebec government. The Ministry of Culture confirmed to us that it could not prevent a developer from building on this property.
The sites in question do not have status under the Heritage Act, meaning no ministerial approval is required to carry out work on these lands.
A situation that makes chef Terry Shaw sad. I think that’s a bit of a shame, especially when we’re talking about reconciliation today. It is very important to highlight the story.
The ministry, which did not respond to our request for an interview, clarified via email that it supports the city in the announced development plan so that all components of cultural heritage, especially archaeology, are taken into account.
Curiously, the person responsible for this plan, the director of the urban planning department, Jean-Phillip Murray, does not appear to have received any instructions from the ministry regarding the archaeological site. If we have clear information from the Ministry that there is archaeological potential, this will certainly be a factor to be taken into account.
No clarification of the situation, in another email the ministry mentions that it has ensured that the municipality has included these sites in its urban planning tools and that they could be taken into account in future development projects.
Who tells the truth? What is certain is that, as the ministry claims, the site is not included in the city’s urban planning instruments. In a series of endless emails, Radio-Canada called on the ministry to clarify its claims. At the time of publication we have not received a response.
Landslide area
The main reason that no construction has taken place on this site has nothing to do with its rich history and everything to do with natural constraints. The head of the city planning office explains that there are landslide areas that limit the development potential. However, part of the archaeological site is not affected by this restriction.
The southeastern section is also in an agricultural area. On the other hand, the city is not ruling out allowing residential use when renewing the development plan within two to three years, which is in line with its development and redevelopment plan presented in October.
Mayor Guy Caron did not want to prejudge the decision to be made, but agreed that the presence of an archaeological site is among the data that must be taken into account in the new city plan.
For his part, Chief Terry Shaw hopes the city will consult First Nations this time. History belongs to us and it is not up to them (the city) to make certain decisions, but rather it is their responsibility to consult and advise us.
A little treasure
The approximately 25,000 objects found in Rimouski – remember that at least as many still lie underground – were stored for a long time in a room at the University of Montreal and, for some, even in Claude Chapdelaine’s basement in Carignan in Montérégie, but now sleeps in one Quebec government warehouse.
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Some artifacts found in Rimouski are 9,000 years old.
Photo: Radio-Canada
No one in Rimouski, neither the city nor the regional museum nor UQAR, contacted him about repatriating and possibly exhibiting the most valuable objects from the collection.
In 2021, on the occasion of the 325th founding of Europeans in Rimouski, the retired archaeologist made an appeal to the residents of Rimouski to reclaim their history.
Two years later, nothing. So on October 16, he settled for handing over the oldest objects in Rimouski’s history to the government, which stored them in a warehouse in Quebec along with thousands, perhaps millions, of others.
It is clear that there is a lack of interest in the culture associated with heritage, laments Claude Chapdelaine.
A few years ago, the most beautiful objects in the collection were featured in an exhibition entitled “Clovis, Caribou Hunter.” The exhibition traveled to Quebec and even Ontario, but never to Rimouski.
Claude Chapdelaine has been retired for several years, but his passion has never left him. “I still have energy,” he likes to emphasize. So much so that he dreams of one day returning to excavate the Rimouski site.
One of the few places I’ll look again tomorrow morning is Rimouski, because this place is a little treasure. He is small, but he is rich!
According to him, with a budget of $50,000 or less, he could volunteer to lead new excavations for two months. The money will be used to cover students, accommodation and other expenses.
But I won’t do anything, someone has to come and offer it to me.