Evidence of an Indigenous settlement found on a Mississauga property

An archeological dig on a Mississauga residential property revealed evidence of an Indigenous settlement.

According to a report to the city’s Heritage Advisory Committee, artifacts were found at 1470 Pinetree Crescent, a now-vacant property just south of the QEW near Stavebank Road. That property is now up for a possible heritage designation.

A plan to build a new home on the property triggered an assessment, according to the report from Fisher Archeological Consulting submitted to the City of Mississauga. The report noted the high potential for Indigenous archaeology as the property is close to the Credit River.

An Indigenous ceramic sherd and lithics (chipped stone artifacts) were found at first.

More digging revealed an “assemblage of Indigenous artifacts” and evidence of an “Indigenous Woodland habitation.”

The archeologists found the property has further cultural heritage value.

And so the report is coming to the City of Mississauga’s Heritage Advisory Committee on Tuesday (May 9) for consideration for a heritage designation.

“The site dates to multiple periods of Indigenous occupation and is representative of the continual habitation of these lands by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial,” the Heritage Advisory Committee report reads.

“Due to the connection with the Indigenous occupation of this part of Mississauga and the City’s commitment to Reconciliation through actively opposing the erasure of Indigenous heritage, the site is found to have associative value as well.”

Through discussions with the current property owner, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Archaeology Program Unit at the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, the report states that it was decided to protect parts of the property under a Part IV designation.

This designation prohibits the “demolition or removal of any building or structure and requires ministerial approval for alterations of the property,” according to the Province of Ontario.

Since the archeological work started, the old home and pool on the property were demolished. Archeologists didn’t find artifacts under the home or pool, and deemed that this part of the property doesn’t require further study.

The archeological report indicates there is more to find on the property and if construction moves ahead on a new home, specific locations of the shoring should be approved by a licenced archaeologist, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and/or the City of Mississauga.

This isn’t the first time property development has turned up artifacts. In 2020, ceramic, glass and metal artifacts dating from 1840 to 1870, were found on a property in development for a hotel in Mississauga.

And evidence of an Indigenous village was found at the now-decommissioned Grand Highland Golf Course.

For more on the findings from 1470 Pinetree Crescent, see the Heritage Committee report.