Preliminary Stages (HRA & SoJ)

Historic Resource Applications (HRA)

During the initial phases of your project, a Historical Resources Application (HRA) is submitted to the Historical Resources Management Branch (HRMB). Utilizing our rapport with the provincial regulators, we can help you navigate the regulatory hoops of the Historic Resources Act by either guiding you through the process or taking care of it for you.

An HRA includes summary information about the project and proponent, project development plans, a series of maps including maps of general location and historical resources potential, and GIS shapefiles of the project. 

What are the possible outcomes of an HRA review by the HRMB? 

  • Grant Historical Resources Act clearance;
  • Issue a conditional clearance (perhaps updating a map, or clearing areas without known sites, but requiring some measure of work ranging from monitoring to excavations); or
  • Require a Historical Resources Impact Assessment to be undertaken for Archaeological, Palaeontological, or Historic Period resources.

If a known Aboriginal Traditional Use site, of a historic resource nature, is within a proposed project area, site-specific consultation may be required.

Statements of Justification (SoJ) & Historical Resources Overview (HRO)

During the early planning stages of a project, a useful tool is a Statement of Justification (SoJ) or a Historic Resources Overview (HRO). These summarize all historical resources data including information pertaining to archaeological sites, palaeontological resources, historic structures, and Aboriginal traditional use sites. SoJs make recommendations regarding the historical resources potential of project lands and known historic sites within and adjacent to the proposed project are plotted on maps, along with the project footprint. This information, paired with additional data regarding site significance, sensitivity, complexity, and any previous HRIA investigations, is summarized in the SoJ. This enables us to evaluate where field assessments are recommended and/or may be required by the HRMB and if any SoJs are submitted with an HRA. The HRMS requests consultants restrict the use of SoJs to only the largest and most complicated projects.