Frequently Asked Questions - rush services, expedited reviews & more

Consulting archaeology is a set of services provided to clients that relate to archaeological and heritage concerns within the context of the development and approvals process. 

Apex Archaeology Inc. works with any client that is in need of archaeological expertise as a requirement of the land use planning and development process - from large housing development companies or cities to individual land owners looking to sever their property.

We are required to assess any part of the property that is subject to the planning application for which the archaeological assessment is required. The property plan that is submitted to the municipal planning authority dictates the limits of the area that must be subject to archaeological assessment. 

In short, no. MCM requires that any land that has been ploughed in the past and that can be ploughed and/or accessed by a plough must be ploughed before that area can be assessed. If Ministry requirements are not met upon review of the report, the area will not be cleared of archaeological concern until all areas have been assessed in accordance with MCM requirements.

The length of time it takes to have a report reviewed by the Ministry depends on the volume of reports being submitted for review to the Ministry. Higher volumes of incoming reports means that it can take longer for Archaeological Review Officers (AROs) to review a report. MCM does not provide timeframes on report review. Once a report has been reviewed and found to be satisfactory, MCM will issue a letter that indicates these findings. If your project requires a satisfaction letter from the Ministry by a specific date, we recommend that you submit an Expedited Review Request of the report with MCM.

A request for an expedited review must be made through the consultant archaeologist that filed the report with MCM. First, you will need to contact the archaeological consulting firm that prepared your report and ask that they submit a request for an Expedited Review. Second, you will need to prepare a signed letter on company letterhead that is addressed to MCM and that includes the reasons for requiring an expedited review, as well as the date by which the MCM satisfaction letter is required by. A copy of this letter must be submitted to the consultant archaeologist so that it can be submitted to MCM with the archaeological report. 

MCM provides confirmation within 5 business days of the submission of an Expedited Review Request and will advise Apex Archaeology Inc. when the report review will be completed by. Apex Archaeology Inc. will then notify the client of the date MCM has stated they will have the report reviewed by. Generally, MCM will have the expedited review completed within 4-6 weeks of granting the expedited review of the report. 

Yes, but expedited services necessitate additional fees. If you require an expedited assessment for your project, please send an email to acn@apexarchaeology.ca with Expedited Service in the Subject Header. Alternatively, give our office a call to speak with us directly.