Human remains discovered again in Port Colborne

Investigations continue as human remains have again been found on Sugarloaf Street in Port Colborne. The most recent discovery is at 112 Sugarloaf St., and it is not far from where similar discoveries were made in the past.

Back in March of 2022, police were called to a home under construction on Sugarloaf Street, just east of Isabel Street, after a contractor found unidentified remains.

Forensic officers and the Regional Coroner’s office investigated the remains on the property. Authorities determined the situation was not a criminal matter and instead focused on the site’s historical significance.

The area is known as the location of cemeteries dating back to the 1800s. Historical maps from the L.R. Wilson Archives in Port Colborne show Sugarloaf and Elm streets are in a zone surrounded by old burial grounds spanning at least five properties. Records confirm the presence of two cemeteries from the 19th century, though it remains unclear whether the newly uncovered remains belong to Indigenous peoples, settlers, or both. The region has also yielded Indigenous artifacts in the past, further highlighting its archaeological importance.

Indigenous remains have been discovered in these locations, as well as along Tennessee Avenue. Further north, on Stonebridge Drive, artifacts have also been uncovered, offering further insight into the area’s Indigenous history.

These findings have been consistent since the 1990s. Resident Robert Sheele said in an email the area was abandoned by the late 1800s, and the municipality petitioned the Ontario government in 1921 to allow the town to remove found graves to other cemeteries.

“(The) recent find of human remains at 112 Sugarloaf does resemble what is happening in terms of ongoing archaeology and investigation of human remains currently at the old Sugarloaf Cemetery between Isabel and Fielden (streets),” Sheele said.

“These two old cemeteries are only 300 metres apart and share much of the same early history of Port Colborne,” he said.

“While the Sugarloaf Cemetery is currently being studied for potential Indigenous connection, I have not been made aware that the same was evident in any type of past studies concerning the old cemetery at corner of Elm and Sugarloaf Street,” he said.

As the investigation continues, the focus remains on respecting the cultural and historical significance of the area. Archaeological work was paused in 2023 to ensure the city’s collaboration with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and Six Nations in the investigation.

Whether this is a case of rediscovered settler cemeteries or Indigenous burial grounds remains to be determined.

Editor’s note: This story has been edited from a previously published version to better distinguish between separate discoveries of human remains.

Rose Lamberti is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at Niagara This Week.