Historic Resource Overview (HRO)

A Historic Resource Overview (HRO) usually precedes archaeological fieldwork to determine if further investigation is necessary.

An HRO includes a review of the development area, its environment, and any known archaeological sites nearby. This review determines the potential for unrecorded archaeological sites in the proposed development area.

If an HRO recommends field work, it would be undertaken as part of a Historical Resources Impact Assessment (HRIA).

Historic resources include historic buildings, archaeological sites and palaeontological sites. In Canada, provincial governments regulate the preservation and study of historic resources through the implementation of a Historical Resources Act.

These provincial Acts provide the framework for HRIAs. Whenever development activity could damage, alter or destroy a historic resource, the person or company undertaking the activity may be required to:

• Conduct an HRIA on lands affected by the activity
• Submit a report reviewing the results of the HRIA to the provincial regulator
• Avoid any heritage resources endangered by activity, or
• Mitigate potential impacts by undertaking further comprehensive studies