Topic: The Ward Uncovered: Archaeological Investigations of one of Toronto’s First Arrival Communities
Speaker: Dr. Holly Martelle
This talk will provide an overview of archaeological investigations that were undertaken in 2015 in downtown Toronto on the site of a multi-ethnic 19th and 20th century neighbourhood. The excavations revealed the foundations of the British Methodist Episcopal Church, representing the third Black congregation church in the City of Toronto, as well as numerous early Black settler sites.
Holly Martelle earned a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto based on her research on Iroquoian populations in southern Ontario. In addition to 16 years of experience in the road building and aggregate industries, Dr. Martelle has worked as a Heritage Planner at the now Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and has taught at several universities throughout the province. Holly is a Past-President of the Ontario Archaeological Society.
In 2003, she founded Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants Inc. with Dr. Peter Timmins and in 2013 the firm was honored with the Ontario Archaeological Society’s award for Excellence in Cultural Resource Management.