Natives near Kamloops say expansion of highway goes through ancient sites

Natives near Kamloops and Chase say the expansion of a section of the Trans-Canada Highway cuts through Secwepemc ancient village sites. The Ministry of Transportation plans to widen 7.5 km of the highway near Pritchard calling it a “major and much-anticipated safety and mobility improvement that’s very important to all motorists.” The ministry appreciates the First Nations heritage and cultural significance of this area and has been working in cooperation with First Nations to ensure the design of the highway expansion respects and preserves these heritage and cultural values, said spokesman Robert Adam reports The Vancouver Sun.
He said crews began construction of a retaining wall to protect the site of the ancestral remains found in 2009, but at the request of local First Nations, the work was halted to allow for a four-day ceremony. Adam said the ministry requires that the project have monitors from the area nations to watch for artifacts or remains.