2007-016 Michelle Wickham

Michelle Wickham (NWT Archaeologist’s Permit 2007-016)

In August of 2007, on behalf of Husky Energy Inc., at the request of Northern EnviroSearch Ltd., Bison Historical Services Ltd. carried out a survey for heritage sites southeast of the village of Tulita in the Northwest Territories. Investigations were aimed at satisfying a single objective: a pre‐impact examination of all areas that may be impacted by the 2007/2008 development activities to ensure any unrecorded heritage resource locations will be avoided.

Michelle Wickham and Robert Steinhauser of Bison Historical Services Ltd., Calgary, AB, assisted by Joe Horassi and Beatrice Kosh of Tulita, NT, who acted as wildlife monitors and local advisors, carried out the field investigations. Fieldwork was based out of Tulita and was carried out by helicopter and on foot. Investigations followed the access road, focusing around the Mackenzie River, inland toward Cloverleaf Lake; around the Redstone River and inland toward the B‐20 and L‐52 lease areas.

The proposed Husky Energy Inc. B‐20 and L‐52 exploratory wells will be drilled during the winter of 2007‐2008. Disturbances will include the well sites, associated camp, airstrip, barge landing, storage areas and an access road linking the well sites to the existing winter road to Tulita. The access road follows an existing road that was briefly used in the 1960’s and has since been decommissioned.

Pre‐field investigations consisted of a review of known site data to ensure that no previously recorded sites were jeopardized by the planned development. No known sites lie within 150 metres of the revised access road. The access road and associated activity areas were repeatedly overflown at low elevation and slow speed to facilitate the identification of any possible heritage concerns. The area was also examined on foot and high potential areas were repeatedly shovel tested. No previously unidentified heritage sites were found within the North Haywood Project development area.

(Edited by Shelley Crouch, Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre)