19th century schooner discovered on Toronto's historic waterfront

An archaeological dig has uncovered the historic remains of an early nineteenth-century schooner near Toronto's old shoreline. The ship, which could date back to as early as the 1830s, is incomplete, with only the keel, the lowermost portions of the stern and bow and a limited section of the bottom of the hull on the port side intact. The vessel was found on a Concord Adex development site.

The nineteenth-century schooner discovered by ASI 
[Credit: Marketwired]

"We are truly proud to be a part of such a tremendous discovery," Michael Hopkins, Concord Adex Director of Construction said. "Findings such as this mark an important juncture of history and innovation - where our past meets our future. Concord Adex, which has always prided itself in its pursuit of innovation, is deeply humbled to find an example of what was once groundbreaking technology on the site of our next project."

Archaeological digs are common practice for new developments of this size. Recent similar discoveries motivated the City to adopt progressive planning policies; mandating projects of this magnitude to require a comprehensive archaeological assessment prior to construction. The ship remains were discovered this week by ASI, an archaeological and cultural heritage firm, which began its work on the site in early March to uncover the remains of the Queens Wharf and other buried harbour features.

"Based on what we have seen so far, this seems to be a vestige of one of the earliest vessels found in Toronto," said ASI senior archaeologist and project manager David Robertson. "We plan to undertake an extensive study to find out everything we can about the vessel. At this time, however, we're not confident it will be possible to preserve the remains."

This is the fourth time the remains of lake vessels have been found in similar archaeological projects. Other discoveries include a circa 1850-1890 vessel at the Rogers Centre, the circa 1904-1021 Commodore Jarvis at the Air Canada Centre, and a late nineteenth-century harbour scow at Block 33. In each of these findings, it was determined that it was not possible or feasible to preserve the vessel.

Concord Adex has committed the time and resources ASI needs to ensure complete recording of this discovery. The remains will be fully exposed, excavated and recorded. The use of 3D scanning technologies is also being investigated to provide a complete, digital record of the vessel.

Source: Marketwired [May 08, 2015]