Work halted on Atlantic highway

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The New Brunswick government's plans to build a $600 million twin highway between Fredericton and Moncton has been halted due to the discovery of an Aboriginal burial site in Gemseg.

Red ochre, commonly associated with ancient Native burial sites, was discovered in March while crews were preparing an area for the building of a bridge over the Gemseg River. The discovery immediately halted construction until further testing of the soil could be completed.

Initial testing done in Saint John, N. B. was inconclusive, so soil samples were transferred to Miami, Florida. The results of these tests determined that the soil did indeed include red ochre and determined that the site could be between 3,000 to 6,000 years old.

Micmac and Maliseet people around the Atlantic provinces approached the province and demanded the project be scrapped. Premier Frank McKenna, acting on a promise not to build on Native historic sites, refused to scrap the project, but said an alternate route would be found.

The alternate route for the highway takes them 250 m north of the originally planned route and will force the relocation of a yacht club and restaurant along the current Trans-Canada Highway.

The Department of Municipalities and Housing, with the support of First Nations, has set up an archeological team to study the site in hopes of determining its age and history.