Voting for the 2018 Election is open Feb5-Apr6. Following the 60-day voting period, the successful slate of candidates will be announced and the transition of the Board will take place at the AGM on April 7th.
Eligible voting members have the election details sent to their emails. If you are a Professional, Field Director, or First Nations Consultation Staff member of APA Ontario and have not received an email with the link to the ballots, please send a note to members@apaontario.ca
BOARD OF DIRECTORS candidates:
Ben Mortimer: Prior to joining Paterson Group in 2012 and founding the Archaeological Division, Ben held various positions with the National Parks and Native Sites Program of Parks Canada’s Terrestrial Archaeology – Cultural Resource Management Division. In his 13 years at Parks, Ben advanced from a material culture lab assistant to archaeological assistant, archaeologist and lastly project archaeologist. Ben undertook a wide variety of archaeological projects on sites across the province of Ontario, including material culture analyses, field excavation, monitoring, impact assessments, and related planning on a breadth of sites from the early occupations of Ontario through to late 19th and early 20th century homesteads. Ben received his Honours Bachelors of Arts in Historic and Industrial Archaeology from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2000. While at Laurier, Ben undertook twelve weeks of field school training, a position as teaching assistant on a field school, volunteering, and various CRM jobs, adding practical experience to his academic knowledge. In 2012, Ben completed his Masters of Arts in Anthropology at Trent University, involving a detailed material culture analysis of Woodland period ceramics from Georgian Bay Islands National Park and a critique of Ontario’s culture history models. Ben’s leadership on recent Paterson projects at Fort Henry, ability to manage large scale projects such as West Block monitoring and the Barrack Hill Cemetery, and his extensive archaeological experiences across various themes and times demonstrate his ability to lead and manage a diversity of archaeological projects in all regions and historic periods of Ontario.
Cathy Crinnion: Cathy has served as an Executive member of APA Ontario since 2009, as Grants Director, Membership Director, Treasurer and Secretary. Formerly the senior archaeologist with Archaeological Resource Management Services of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Cathy has enjoyed a wide range of heritage-related activities, including archaeological investigations, strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities, built heritage and Historic period archival research, the review of cultural heritage components of environmental assessments, interaction with local community members and heritage advocates, and, close to her heart, teaching local and international students about Ontario’s past peoples and archaeological practice in a field school setting. Cathy has stepped back from full-time employment while her children are young, but has the time and the desire to continue on APA's Board of Directors for another term.
Dave Norris: Hello fellow APA members. For those of you that don’t know, my name is David Norris and I run a consulting company out of northern Ontario. For the past two years I have represented members from the northern portion of our province on the board of directors and am asking you to allow me to continue to do so. I am an active participant in board meetings and certainly enjoy the atmosphere. I strongly believe that the northern portion of this province needs to be represented and issues and concerns relating to archaeology in the north need to be brought forth to the Ministry. Conditions between the north and south can be and are different and as such regulations and standards need to reflect this difference. It isn’t an issue of one being better than the other, but a reflection in several variables that need to be considered when doing archaeology in the two areas. This not only relates to how archaeology is done, but First Nations community involvement and engagement is conducted on a different level and the government needs to be informed of this. I would like the opportunity to continue to represent the north and continue to help archaeology on a whole within the province continue to evolve so that we can all benefit from standards and guidelines that accurately reflect the type of work we all do. Thank you, David Norris, Woodland Heritage.
Jeff Dillane: I have worked as an archaeologist since 2003 in Ontario and have experience in both CRM and research focused archaeological projects. I have worked as a field technician for the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (2003-2008) and as a field director at both Trent University (2009-2011) and Northeastern Archaeological Associates (2013-2017). Currently I am an archaeologist for Parks Canada’s Terrestrial Archaeology Unit. I hold a BA and MA in anthropology from Trent University and am working on a PhD in Anthropology at McMaster University. My current research focuses on the long-term history of the Trent Valley in Southern Ontario and how interactions with the landscape changed between the Middle Archaic and the end of the pre-contact period. In addition to my research, I have been involved with APA training programs for First Nations monitors in the Trent Drainage since 2011. From 2014-2017 I have taught courses at Trent University and McMaster University including Settlement and Landscape Archaeology, The Archaeology of the Americas, and Heritage, Economy and Ethics.
I have served on the APA board of directors since October 2016 as director of investigations and newsletter editor. If re-elected I will strive to bring more programs and services to our membership and to help to foster the communication of ideas and concerns of the membership to the board. I am also committed to reaching out to our student members in order to bring attention to their concerns and help provide important opportunities for employment and professional development that will help them as they begin their careers.
Keith Powers: I have been a professional archaeologist since 1995, received a Masters degree in Britain in 1998. The degree focused on field archaeology and its methodology. My dissertation focused on the location of Iroquoian features within village sites. I began using geophysics both here and abroad to locate buried archaeological features. My main focus was driven by specific needs of clients which seem to focus on locating early pioneer graves within the landscape. I began my company in 2003 and have worked on the range of archaeological deposits within Ontario. Having served previously as both Director of Investigations and VP on the APA Board of Directors as well as an interim appointment as Membership Director during this past term, I am ready to stand for another term on the Board.
Laura McRae: Laura McRae has been working as an archaeologist in Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Central America since 2001. She has assisted with teaching archaeological field schools since 2004 and has published a book regarding archaeological pedagogy, based on her Masters thesis (Trent University). Co-founder, Director and Chief Archaeologist with The Central Archaeology Group Inc., Laura has worked on a number of First Nations, Fur Trade, British Military, Domestic, Industrial and Historical archaeological sites. She is a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and has a particular interest in the transition period between pre-contact First Nations groups and the introduction of European trade and settlement. In addition to her archaeological activities, Laura is a farmer, raising commercial sheep and dairy goats in the Lower Trent Valley. Laura has been serving as an Executive member of the Ontario APA since 2017 as First Nations Relations Director and would like to continue to serve the archaeological community in this capacity and continue to strengthen relationships between our respective communities.
Lawrence (Laurie) Jackson, Ph.D. Southern Methodist U, Texas M.A. Trent U:
As a founding member of APA, I have an active vision for this organization, its future and its mandate to serve members of the profession. I have worked in archaeology since 1972, holding a provincial licence since 1975. My area of specialization is Early and Late Palaeo-Indian archaeology, with primary focus in southern Ontario but also publications on the topic based on research in New Mexico and Chile, South America. I have authored or co-edited three volumes on Palaeo-Indian archaeology and history and numerous articles on a variety of archaeological topics. My business experience has been in running Northeastern Archaeological Associates since 1989. I have a firm regard for the individual rights of archaeological professionals in Ontario. As an APA director, I have served several terms as President and Vice President but also as First Nations Liaison and Investigations Director. As an APA director, I was actively involved initiating a working relationship with Six Nations in a series of jointly chaired workshops, leading to training schools and also worked with other APA directors, such as Cathy Crinnion, with the Williams Treaty First Nations since 2010 in various archaeological partnerships, including liaison training. My first love is field work and research and it is heartening to see members of APA, and newly joined members, actively engaged in academic pursuits, as well as archaeology as a business. This is a confusing time for young archaeologists in Ontario, with more regulation than guidance and sometimes conflicting First Nations obligations. It is important for organizations like APA to provide a centering focus and to help train and also protect the careers of young archaeologists. It is heartening to see a growing co-ordination with First Nations who now make up 10% of APA's membership.
Standing up for the right thing is not always popular, but I hope that this organization will continue to do so with an active voice for decades to come. Although I defer to Ann Elk in matters of humour, I can certainly enjoy the occasionally comic aspects of what we and our colleagues at times do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAYDiPizDIs
Nadine Kopp: Nadine received her Honours Bachelors of Arts from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2006 in Archaeology and Anthropology. While at WLU she participated in the Co-operative Education Program and was placed with the Military Sites Unit of Parks Canada where she excavated at many National Historic Sites including Fort Henry, Fort Wellington, and Fort George. Nadine volunteered with the Bermuda Maritime Museum periodically from 2005 to 2007 excavating and processing material culture from early British military sites in Bermuda such as the fortress Keep at the Royal Naval Dockyard and The Grange built in 1617, the residence of Daniel Tucker, Bermuda's second Governor. In 2006, Nadine attended East Carolina University for her Masters of Arts in Maritime History and Archaeology completing her thesis about the influence of the War of 1812 on ship construction on the Great Lakes, relating this to a wreck located in Navy Bay just off of the Royal Military College. After returning to Canada, Nadine worked for the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation from 2008 to 2012, where she accumulated extensive experience excavating and processing material culture from British Military sites and 19th century homesteads. Since 2012, Nadine has worked for Paterson Group, excavating various sites in the Ottawa area including early 19th century homesteads, the Barrack Hill Cemetery, Ottawa’s first cemetery, and the Officers’ Quarter midden from the Barrack Hill period (ca. 1827-1845) located on Parliament Hill.
FIELD DIRECTORS LIAISON candidates:
Norbert Stanchly: Norbert is the Principal Archaeologist at AS&G Archaeological Consulting, specializing in archaeological assessments and faunal analysis. He has a wide range of experience with managing assessments, conducting field assessments, artifact analyses, and in both the preparation and review of archaeological assessment reports. Norbert has more than 25 years experience in the field of archaeology and is keenly interested in the application of technical standards and guidelines for the discipline. Norbert has served on APA’s Board of Directors and committees in the past and is looking to continue to do so at this time.
Shane McCartney: Shane has been working in the archaeological sector for approximately 9 years now. He graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology from McMaster University in 2007, and is currently completing a M.A. in Applied Archaeology at Western University. Shane worked as a field technician for Archaeologix Inc. until 2009, when he was hired as a Licensed Field Director for Golder Associates Ltd. Shane spent 5 years at Golder, eventually directing the field operations for large renewable energy projects which involved the coordination of 120 field personnel and dealing with three separate Native communities in the Haldimand Region. Shane is now the Vice President for Earthworks Archaeological Services, where he continues to direct field operations and produce associated archaeological reports in addition to client and aboriginal engagement.
