Heritage Resources Impact Assessment (October 2002)

	Full Document PDF File 231 KB Excavating at the Gathercole Property (Photos) PDF File 144 KB Map Showing Location of Gathercole Property PDF File 144 KB Map Showing Location of Tests PDF File 144 KB

In October of 2002, the City of Saskatoon asked Stantec Consulting Ltd. to conduct Heritage Resources Impact Assessment (HRIA) of the Gathercole Property, located in the south downtown of Saskatoon at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 19th Street. Previous studies of the area (Amundson, Champ and Brandon 1994; Enns­Kavanagh and Friesen 2002) have documented the presence of FaNp­26, the Clinkskill House Site. This site consists of a historic house foundation belonging to James Clinkskill, the first mayor of Saskatoon. This site was also noted to have a sparse precontact component. The HRIA of FaNp­26 on the Gathercole property was designed to do two things. First, it was designed to assess the extent and significance of the precontact component of the site. Second, it was designed to generate recommendations for mitigation of both the Clinkskill House foundation and any significant precontact remains, in the event of impact by development.

A total of 10 test excavations were dug. Based on previous studies conducted in 1994 and 2002, a detailed understanding of the stratigraphy of the area had already been obtained. Therefore, a skid­steer (Bobcat) tractor with a 12” auger was used to quickly excavate the 10 holes. All soil was screened through 4mesh. No further evidence of the precontact component of the site was found. A small sample of historic artifacts generally relating to the presence of the Clinkskill House and it’s destruction in 1960 were collected (wire drawn nails, brick andmortar fragments, ceramics andmetal). No further features of the Clinkskill yard, beyond the house itself, were noted.

It was concluded, first, that the precontact component of FaNp­26 was not significant and did not warrant mitigationin the event of impact. Second, it is recommended that, in the event of any ground disturbance within a ten metre radius of the center of the Clinkskill foundation, the site be mitigated with an as­found recording. This would involve the exposure of as much of the foundation remains as possible, and the creation of a detailed map of the same. It is also recommended that, during the excavations of the Clinkskill house, this excellent opportunity for public education about archaeology and Saskatoon history be utilized to its full extent.