Sector Overview

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Western Heritage provides premier services to our customers wherever heritage resources are present. We specialize in managing projects in the resource development sector, including mining, forestry and oil and gas. We also have extensive experience in engineering, construction and infrastructure development sectors.

Mining

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Western Heritage has extensive experience in cultural resource management for mining and resource extraction.

Mines have complex development histories. Western Heritage has worked on projects ranging from exploration to mine expansion or reclamation. Each stage requires a different level of expertise and we have helped numerous developers attain heritage clearances.

Petroleum

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Western Heritage has extensive experience in cultural resource management for the petroleum industry.
Performance is critical for this industry. With a large staff of archaeologists, we can meet the most demanding schedules.

We have provided expertise for oil and gas developments that involve seismic work, facility construction, well site and plant site placement, flowlines, access road infrastructure development and linear pipeline planning and assessment.

Oilfield services include:

  • Heritage Overviews (HROs, Screening)
  • Archaeological Surveys
  • Detailed Site Assessments
  • Site Avoidance and Mitigation

Forestry

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Western Heritage develops innovative, effective cultural resource management strategies for the forestry industry throughout Canada.

Our experts have decades of experience dealing with forestry-related landscape management issues. We can address the most complex historical and cultural concerns in a timely manner – important in an increasingly regulated and margin-sensitive environment.

We have extensive experience with Detailed Forest Management Plans throughout western Canada and northern Ontario. We work with regulatory agencies and private industry to develop cost-effective and compliant cultural management plans on an annual and longer-term basis.

Western Heritage maintains an extensive infrastructure. We provide highly-trained and well-equipped crews to help large and small forestry companies manage their historical concerns.

Infrastructure

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Infrastructure (excluding highways) includes waterlines, power lines, dams and drainage networks. Western Heritage has a wide range of experience on infrastructure projects.

Archaeological assessment for these developments can include heritage screening, field surveying and testing (HRIA) and, if required, mitigation. Many projects are assessed as part of larger EIA studies.

First Nations/Métis Engagement

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Western Heritage is committed to building solid relationships with First Nations communities throughout Western Canada.

We have extensive experience involving First Nations communities and cultural resource management issues. We value community participation in historical studies and Traditional Use data collection.

Our experience includes:

  • Meetings with Chiefs and Councils
  • Interviews with Elders and community members
  • First Nations on-site involvement and participation in fieldwork
  • Participation in ceremonial activities

Land Use

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Land Use developments include military bases, reservoirs and agricultural projects that affect large land areas and do not fit into specific industrial categories. Their size and complexity require sophisticated cultural resource management expertise.

Our personnel have extensive experience locating and managing historical resources on military bases. We have been involved in the management of cultural resources on some of western Canada’s largest reservoir projects. Our Geomatics group has more than 15 years of experience on numerous projects in the agricultural sector.

Transportation

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Western Heritage provides heritage resource management services to engineering firms and government departments involved in the surveying, building, realignment or widening of single- and multi-lane highways and freeways. Borrow-sourcing and construction staging areas are also subject to assessment as part of the heritage management process.

Often, the greatest challenge for highway development is the reduced flexibility for site avoidance due to design and terrain constraints. Site mitigation is often required. Western Heritage maintains trained staff, support infrastructure and management expertise to complete site mitigation in an effective, expedient manner.

Our expertise extends across Canada, where each province has its own protocols and process for transportation-related heritage resource protection.

Urban Development

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Western Heritage has extensive experience in heritage resource management (CRM) in urban and rural areas throughout Canada.

Field surveying and shovel testing are part of the compliance process for HRIAs (Historical Resource Impact Assessments). Urban areas often contain the remains of historic sites or structures that require archival research and interpretation before field studies can begin.

Sensitive historical and cultural sites may require minimum-impact approaches to data collection. As a recognized expert in historical and archive-based research, we can employ non-destructive techniques – including ground-penetrating radar – for geophysical assessment of urban sites. This lets us collect as much information as possible before starting sub-surface inspections.

We have successfully completed projects across Canada for:

  • Cottage developments, new subdivision development
  • Industrial parks and recreation areas
  • Street construction and bridge development
  • Urban parks and historic site developments