September 10-17, 2022

$2,995 per person ($450 single supplement)

Saturday, September 10
Join us in Toronto, Ontario for a welcoming reception and lecture by noted archaeologist, Dr. Ronald Williamson. Dr. Williamson has more than forty years of experience in the field, having directed more than 1,000 archaeological projects, predominantly in Ontario, Canada. He will share some of the sites he has excavated with the group and accompany us for the duration of our trip.

Sunday, September 11
We begin our journey on the Niagara Peninsula at the edge of the Canadian-United States border. Dr. Williamson will discuss the excavations at the Peace Bridge site that were carried out in advance of bridge construction, and we’ll hear about some of the artifacts that were recovered. Then we’ll visit Old Fort Erie, a British 18th and 19th century fortification twice attacked by American forces during the War of 1812. Our last stop of the day will be at Chippawa Battlefield where American forces defeated British soldiers during the War of 1812. We will then head to Niagara Falls where our hotel is a short 10 minute walk from the breathtaking Horseshoe Falls.

Monday, September 12
In the morning we’ll go by Lundy’s Lane, where one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812 took place. Then we’ll visit Queenston Heights, the location of the first major battle of the War of 1812. From there, we’ll visit the National Historic site of Fort George, where the fort has been reconstructed and staffed as a living history museum. Then we’ll travel to the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake where we will have lunch and explore the historic town. We’ll spend the night in London at the Delta London Armouries hotel, part of which served the area as an armory in the early 1900s.

Tuesday, September 13
In the morning we’ll visit the Longwoods Road Conservation Area for a tour of the Ska-Nah-Doht reconstructed longhouses and museum. In the afternoon we will head back to the city of London for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum of Ontario Archaeology and its research facility. We’ll then head north to the shores of Georgian Bay, part of Lake Huron, where we will stay for the night.

Wednesday, September 14
In the morning we’ll visit the Martyrs’ Shrine, which honors the memory of six Jesuit Martyrs, including St. Jean de Brébeuf, and two lay persons from the mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. Following that we’ll see the 17th century mission of Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, the first European settlement in Ontario. We’ll explore the world-class reconstruction where historical interpreters recreate frontier life. We’ll then head to Peterborough where we’ll spend the night at a hotel along the Otonabee River.

Thursday, September 15
Our main site visit for the day will be the Petroglyphs Provincial Park in the Kawartha Lakes Region. This park contains the largest known collection of petroglyphs in Canada. We’ll tour the museum and see over 900 remarkable rock carvings done by the Algonkian people between 900 and 1400 A.D. We’ll then head southwest to Vaughan where we will stay for the night.

Friday, September 16
On our final day, we’ll visit the ongoing excavation of a contact period prehistoric village site located along the Humber River. We’ll then return to the heart of Toronto to visit the Fort York National Historic Site, constructed in the late 1700s to protect Toronto from the newly independent United States. During the War of 1812 the fort was repeatedly raided and attacked by U.S. forces. We’ll then visit the largest museum in Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum. You’ll have time to explore its extensive collections of artifacts and artwork from cultures around the world as well as its impressive natural history fossils and displays. We will then return to our hotel near the airport to conclude the tour.

Saturday, September 17th
Guests return home.

Cost includes first-class hotel accommodations based on double occupancy (single supplement is $450), lunches, happy hours, expert Conservancy and special guides, admittance fees, tips, tours, orientations, background reading, and surface travel via air-conditioned bus with restroom. Not included are meals other than lunches and travel to and from Toronto. All participants will be required to comply with international COVID travel requirements.