By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
An archeological site of note has been uncovered in Magog, one of many local sites that will be investigated by the town.
The Town of Magog, for the past few years, has been exploring its “archeological potential”, said Mme Édith Thibodeau, Magog’s Development Officer for Heritage and Culture. Numerous items of archeological interest have been found recently, many accidentally in the course of new construction. However, the town wished to deliberately focus on the areas with the strongest unrealized possibilities. After a comprehensive study, they are now able to warn those who are building in “sensitive areas”.
One recent area of interest, Autoparc Stanley, underwent an archeological dig preceding new construction, finding over 400 historical artifacts from the 1800s as a result. The items give an insight into what daily life was like at the time, and will be collected by the city and eventually showcased to the local population. Items include pieces of pottery and glass, coins, and buttons.
Many other sites with a “high potential” around the Magog River and Memphremagog Lake will be explored in the future, likely holding significant items of Indigenous origin going back centuries. The area of most interest in terms of its colonial history is Magog’s downtown core. In Parc des Braves, the foundation of Magog’s first Town Hall was uncovered.
The site at Autoparc Stanley has been destroyed to make way for new construction, but was comprehensively searched and documented beforehand.