ASI (Archaeological Services Inc.)

ASI
Industry Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Consulting
Founded Toronto, Ontario, Canada (1980 (1980))
Founders Ronald F. Williamson
Headquarters Toronto and Burlington, Canada
Number of locations
3
Area served
Ontario, Canada
Key people
Partners Debbie Steiss (MA), Dr. Robert MacDonald, Robert Pihl (MA) and Martin Cooper (MA)
Services Archaeological and cultural heritage consulting
Number of employees
52 full-time staff; 40-50 seasonal
Website asiheritage.ca

ASI (Legal: Archaeological Services Inc.) is the largest private archaeological and cultural heritage consulting company in Ontario, with offices in Toronto and Burlington.[1] The company is a part of the Cultural Resource Management (CRM) industry.

History

In Ontario, all land development projects, from urban condominiums and housing subdivisions, to highway expansions and infrastructure projects, require heritage assessment and mitigation of impacts before approvals are granted.[2] Archaeological Services Inc. was established in 1980 to assist development proponents in meeting these requirements.[3] The company was founded by Chief Archaeologist and Managing Partner, Dr. Ronald F. Williamson, with Debbie Steiss (MA), Dr. Robert MacDonald, Robert Pihl (MA) and Martin Cooper (MA) joining as partners in 2002.[4] The company began primarily with archaeological consultations but expanded to include a Built Heritage and Cultural Heritage Landscape division in 1998.[5] ASI's services include Environmental Assessment, Stage 1 and 2 Planning Act Assessment, Stage 3 and 4 Excavation, Geomatics, Predictive Modeling, Laboratory Services, Archaeological Management Plans and Cemeteries.

As of 2015, ASI employs approximately 50 full-time staff members and hires approximately 40-50 seasonal staff each field season.[3] Most of the company's full-time archaeologists and many of the seasonal archaeologists are registered and licensed with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, adhering to the ministry's licensing guidelines for consultant archaeologists.[6][7]

Public Outreach

ASI is the only major Canadian archaeological consulting company to liaise on a regular basis with film and television producers, such as the History Channel, YAP Films and Ballinran Productions, for the production of popular historical documentaries, such as Death or Canada, Explosion 1812, Curse of the Axe, and Hangman's Graveyard, which feature ASI archaeological projects.[8][9][10] ASI is also a major advocate for public outreach archaeology and works closely with Heritage Toronto, The City of Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Museum Project and The University of Toronto to engage the public in Ontario's heritage.[11][12]

Clients

ASI's clients have included the Federal Government of Canada, the Ontario Provincial Government, Regional and Municipal Governments, First Nations, Environmental and Engineering Consultants, Planning Consultants, Architectural and Legal Firms, Land Developers, Utilities and Museum and Heritage Organizations[13]

Major Publications

Major projects

References

  1. "Spring 2011 | Canadian War Museum" (in French). Warmuseum.ca. 1936-07-26. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  2. "Archaeological assessments". Mtc.gov.on.ca. 2013-05-15. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  3. 1 2 Richard Blackwell. "Getting paid to dig up the past". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  4. "Archaeological Services Inc. - Partners". Iasi.to. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  5. "Archaeological licensing". Mtc.gov.on.ca. 2013-07-12. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  6. 1 2 "407 East Environmental Assessment" (PDF). Highway407east.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  7. "Recipient of the 2012 Award for Excellence in Cultural Resource Management : Dr. Ronald Willliamson". Ontarioarchaeology.on.ca. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  8. "Archaeological Services Inc. - Media". Iasi.to. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  9. "Toronto Irish Famine Memorial". Ireland Park Foundation. 2006-10-03. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  10. "Huron-Wendat Day in Toronto |". Heritagetoronto.org. 2013-05-24. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  11. "People". Archaeology.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  12. "Archaeological Services Inc. - Clients". Iasi.to. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  13. "Book Launch: "The Mantle Site" |". Heritagetoronto.org. 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  14. "interim report ToC layout" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  15. "Corel Office Document" (PDF). Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  16. "Toronto's past uncovered at old Don Jail". Insidetoronto.com. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  17. "Elmbank Cemetery". Archtoronto.org. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  18. "Unearthing our First Parliament | Legislative Assembly of Ontario | Education Portal". Educationportal.ontla.on.ca. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  19. "City of Toronto: Archaeology". Toronto.ca. 2000-10-23. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  20. "City of Toronto, Fort York National Historic Site". Toronto.ca. 2000-10-23. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  21. Birch, Jennifer, Williamson, Ronald F. (2012) The Mantle Site: An Archaeological History of Huron-Wendat Community. USA: Rowman and Littlefield.
  22. Richard Blackwell. "New hotel at CNE to tell story of early Toronto". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  23. Williamson, Ronald F., MacDonald, Robert I. (1998) Legacy of Stone: Ancient Life on the Niagara Frontier. Toronto: eastendbooks
  24. Litt, Paul, Williamson, Ronald F., Joseph W.A. Whitehorne (1993) Death At Snake Hill: Secrets from a War of 1812 Cemetery. Toronto: Dundurn Press
  25. "Home". South Kent Wind. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  26. "Toronto’s First General Hospital and the Irish Famine of 1847". Heritagetoronto.org. 2013-01-06. Retrieved 2013-09-22.

External links

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