Latest News

York Region now joins Ottawa, Peel and Toronto in a Modified Stage 2, with additional health measures to stop the spread and contain the Second Wave of Covid-19.  Read more in APA's Covid-19 info tab.

"The Ontario government has announced nearly all businesses and public spaces will reopen in Stage 3 of the province’s reopening framework with public health and workplace safety measures and restrictions in place. As Ontario continues down the path to economic recovery, decisions on which regions will enter Stage 3 and when will be made in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts and based on trends of key public health indicators."

For the full list of affected regions and additional details, read more in the Covid-19 info tab.

Mandatory wearing of masks in public indoor spaces is mandatory (with some exceptions) as of today in Toronto, elsewhere in the GTA likely in the coming days.  Read more, full link to article here.

The *preregistration signup link* has been emailed directly to all current APA Ontario members.

If you would like to register and can't find your email invitation, just drop a line to members@apaontario.ca

Virtual AGM by Zoom will take place on Saturday June 27th at 10am, followed by the paper presentation Patterson Village: The Archaeology of a 19th Century Company Town by Dr. Bill Finlayson. 

The latest APA Newsletter has been emailed directly to members, and will also be available here.

Members can now contribute to discussions about personal protective equipment, locations to access washrooms and food while on the road, and more -- to help keep everyone current who is participating in archaeological assessments during the pandemic.

Please contribute the information that you have, and subscribe to specific discussion topics to stay current!

"Eyes on the Ground" H&S Forum -- Go!

We are very pleased to report that as of this morning, and pursuant to several of our discussions with the Ontario Homebuilders Association, we now have a legal letter in hand which identifies archaeology as a preparatory study for essential construction activity.  This letter was shared with us in recognition of our profession being an important part of the development industry and needing definition under Emergency Regulations.  

Head to the Covid-19 tab for members to read more.

Various examples of health and safety protocols are now being added to the Covid-19 library of resources. 

Log in to head to the Covid-19 tab.

Yesterday's Ontario Government release widens permitted construction activity to include the beginning of below grade condos and apartments and continuance of above-grade projects. Again, there is no specific mention of pre-approval support or preparation studies such as archaeology.  This is more than likely a significant oversight on the part of those drafting these documents.  In fact, we located today on a government website a definition of site preparation activity and servicing which clearly does not include work such as ours.  We are seeking clarification from government and the housing industry.  We will post new information tomorrow.

Members can read more at apaontario.ca/coronavirus.

Link to the original Government news release.

Members now have access to a compilation of Covid-19-related resources on a dedicated tab, including this week's Provincial Framework for Reopening.  The resources in this tab will continue to be added to, for easy reference.  Log in to visit the Covid-19 tab in the Member Resources section.