Imagine the Egyptians destroying the pyramids, the Pantheon being leveled in Rome, or the Taj Mahal being knocked down to build a commercial highway? Sounds absurd. These ancient burial grounds are protected because of their rich connection to ancient civilizations and the actions of individuals and organizations to protect them.
What if I told you that a similar site was actually under threat here in our own community. In order to build the controversial South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) the St. Mungo or Glennrose Cannery would have to be dug up, paved over, desecrated.
To put this in context this site is possibly one of the oldest burial sites known in North America. Archaeologists claim that artifacts have been discovered that date back 5000 years (3000 B.C.) and that the site may have been used continuously for close to 9000 years.
This week a governmental report submitted to the Ministry of Transportation has surfaced that backs up this assessment. The report was submitted in 2006 and seems to have been buried by the government in their haste to complete the project.
Also this week, one member of the Tsawwassen First Nations and a Cree nation member have filed a civil suit in the Vancouver Supreme Court against the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Minister of the Environment, and the Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
Environmental concerns have also been a major factor in the construction of the SFPR as it will destroy valuable agricultural land, lead to more pollution, and infringe on wildlife habitats as well as peoples communities. Activists had been occupying the construction site until a court injunction forced them off.
Such actions by the citizens of New Westminster actually led to the shutting down of the North Fraser Perimeter Road!
Read More:
Article from the Georgia Straight 2010
The Report submitted to the Ministry of Transportation from 2006
