6 South Rankin Street in Southampton.
Hub Staff | 6 May 2026
Charges tied to damage at a protected archaeological site in Southampton have been resolved after a guilty plea in Ontario Court of Justice on Tuesday.
Saugeen Shores Police Service said the case stemmed from an incident reported on November 29, 2022 at 6 South Rankin Street in Southampton, the location of a protected archaeological site known as Ne’bwaakah giizwed ziibi (BdHi-2), also referred to as the River Mouth Speaks site in the Ontario Archaeological Sites Database.
The site is considered ancestral to the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation and is regarded as one of the most significant archaeological sites documented within the territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). Historical records and archaeological work at the site have provided evidence of at least 2,500 years of continuous human occupation.
According to information previously released by police in 2023, excavations connected to municipal infrastructure work in 2010 uncovered more than 100,000 artifacts in a small trench adjacent to the property. Archaeological investigations at the site also revealed burials and cultural materials that pointed to the site’s spiritual and ceremonial significance to First Nations.
The property owner and a numbered Ontario company were jointly charged following an investigation conducted in consultation with the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation. Charges included failing to comply with the Ontario Heritage Act and failing to comply with the Ontario Building Code.
Police said the matter concluded May 5 when court convened at the James Mason Memorial Culture and Recreation Centre on Saugeen First Nation (SFN). The defendant pleaded guilty to the Ontario Heritage Act offence.
As part of the resolution, the land at 6 South Rankin Street has been turned over to Saugeen First Nation and $30,000 was paid to SFN for remediation of the property. The court also received a written apology from the accused to Saugeen First Nation, while a $3,500 fine and victim surcharge were imposed.
Saugeen Shores Police Service thanked Saugeen First Nation, the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for their assistance during the investigation.
