Posted by Scott McWilliam on January 13, 19100 at 16:59:34:
The 33rd Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology in Quebec city last weekend was great. There were many interesting papers by avocational, professional and accademic archaeologists.
There was considerable discussion on divers' rights to access and utilization of shipwrecks as archaeological sites. This seemed to have come to a head,and effectively summed up by Dr. Paul Johnson's (from the Smithsonian Institute) remarks to solicitor Steve Yormak, "if your client wants to dive the Hamilton and Scourge on a just have a look basis, I have no problem with that, I would endorse it."
I find his remarks particularly interesting in light of the proposed Bill 13 in Ontario. My general feeling is that a very small group of archaeologist in the Province have read the Ontario Heritage Act and been telling divers you can't do this and you can't do that, this site or that site is restricted or protected all of which are untrue and beyound the scope and range of the Ontario Heritage Act. I think Dr. Johnson summed up the general sentiment of the archaeological community on the subject of diver access to shipwreck sites. If a minimal impact approach is used there is nothing from an archaeological perspective wrong with it.
I am very concerned that Archaeologists in the Ministry of Citizenship Culture and Heritage have intentionaly mislead the sport divers of Ontario on the legalities of the Ontario Heritage Act and appropriate site utilization in terms of basic archaeology and method to suit their own ends.
Scott McWilliam