Construction work at Vancouver International Airport has been paused after the discovery of artefacts belonging to the Musqueam first nations group.
The pieces are reported by Global News Canada as being stone implements, tools and animal bones, and have been sent to an archaeology and heritage lab for assessment.
A press release issued yesterday says work is currently suspended and gives no indication of when it will restart.
Tamara Vrooman, Vancouver Airport Authority’s chief executive, said: “The airport is located on Sea Island, which is the traditional, unceded and continuously occupied territory of Musqueam. This archaeological discovery demonstrates the longstanding and continued tie between Musqueam people and their ancestral territories.
“For this reason, finding these artefacts is not unexpected and something we plan for together with Musqueam. We are committed to the protection of these artifacts and will continue to work with Musqueam to inform our current and future actions.”
