MA Theses in HRM: Michael Pitul 2019

Underwater Cultural Heritage Law and Policy in Ontario:
History and Prospects for Reform

Committee

Dr. John Welch, Professor, Senior Supervisor
Dr. Kimberly Monk, Adjunct, Trent University, Supervisor
Tom Beasley, External Examiner, Associate Counsel, Bernard LLP
Dr. Dave Burley, Professor, Chair

Abstract

Ontario underwater cultural heritage is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act administered by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport. Since the 2005 Ontario Heritage Act amendments, which added marine archaeology to the act’s protection regime, the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport has not updated or improved Ontario UCH policy. Due to the lack of improvement and interest into underwater cultural heritage by the ministry this thesis assessed Ontario’s current marine-heritage legislation. The analysis resulted in the identification of ten main concerns with the province’s heritage policy. Using established underwater cultural heritage policy from Australia, South Carolina, the UK, and the international standard of the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Underwater Cultural Heritage recommendations for reform are presented to mitigate the ten concerns.