President's Message
January/February 2007
(as published in Arch Notes New Series 12(1))
The weather this winter has been extraordinarily unwinter-like, to say the least. Ottawa's Winterlude this year may feature canoe races on the Rideau Canal instead of the usual skating! Paralleling the unexpected weather, at the January, 2007 meeting of the Board of Directors of the OAS, I was chosen to assume the position of President of the society. This is the first time, to my knowledge, that the OAS President was not a current resident of the province of Ontario. But don't worry too much, my roots and most especially my interests, lie well within Ontario.
When I joined the Board of Directors in 2006, it was with the intention of giving something back to the OAS, in part because the institution I work for, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and my family would allow me to do so. My commitment at that time was to undertake whatever I could and whatever was needed. It remains so, even if it is now a bit more daunting. My first year on the board showed me the great dedication of the people who sit around that table. Without the hundreds of volunteer hours freely given to our organization, we would not be able to promote the OAS aims or advance the cause of understanding, preserving and sharing the archaeological past of Ontario. I would particularly like to recognize the wonderful work of three outgoing board members, namely Tony Stapells, Cathy Crinnion and Holly Martelle, last year's President. While all three are no longer on the Board, they will continue to serve on committees and to offer their invaluable advice and experience. I know that I speak for all OAS members when I say thank you for all of work on our behalf! And of course, welcome to our new Board members, Jim Keron, John L. Creese and Alistair Jolly of Toronto.
As a Board member from well outside of the GTA, I long nurtured a picture of the provincial organization that I can now say does not do justice to reality. There is a tremendous amount of energy expended in Toronto to ensure that what we like to do in the regions can actually take place. Its usually not ìsexyî stuff, but it sure is vital. This work permits the OAS to legitimately claim to represent a consensus about the place of archaeology and to legitimately and proudly describe itself as the largest archaeological society in Canada.
There is always important work to be undertaken in defense and promotion of the past and the OAS Board of Directors is guided by a strategic plan that tries to anticipate the needs of the organization over the next three years. Some of the issues that this year's Board will be working on include:
-Board Review; so much of the functioning of the society depends not only on a well-drafted policies and procedures manuals (although these are definitely very handy at times!), but on the personal knowledge and experience that past Board members possess. We must ensure some kind of continuity between boards so as to avoid potential situations where all members are new and inexperienced.
-Advocacy; it is one thing to have a strong position on an issue, but the real challenge is convincing others of the merits of such a position. We can approach government to make our point known, but we gain valuable momentum and allies by reaching a broader audience.
-the OAS is comprised of a wide range of constituents including professionals, avocationals, students, chapters/regions. All have their own interests and agendas; some overlap, others do not. There is a need for us to better understand each other's needs and to find more common ground.
-for a few years now there has been an Archaeology Day in Toronto. Various chapters have also undertaken activities in their regions which fulfill similar goals of creating an awareness about Ontario's archaeological heritage. We hope to begin thinking about how these could somehow be integrated into a province-wide ìArchaeology Dayî or how the society could facilitate local ìArchaeology Daysî.
-the largest number of francophones outside of Québec and within Canada are found in Ontario. The oldest continuously occupied Euro-Canadian settlement in Ontario was created by French Canadians in the Windsor area while still part of La Nouvelle France. More and more Ontario government services are being made available in French. It is time for the Ontario Archaeological Society to examine what can be done to be more inclusive with regards to French-language content. This is not to suggest that the OAS should become a bilingual organization. It is simply to recognize that our aim of promoting respect for cultural heritage might be strengthened by extending some services to the other official Canadian linguistic community.
-the OAS website will be revamped this year in such a way as to become a more dynamic and useful tool to better serve the identified needs of the Board of Directors and of the OAS membership.
This list is not exhaustive, although it might be exhausting. Some issues will receive more attention than others and, heaven knows, unexpected ones will surface. At the same time, there are limits to what can be undertaken by the Board of Directors. If there are topics listed here about which you feel strongly or some which you would like to see addressed but that have not been mentioned, do not hesitate to contact myself or any of the other Board members. We welcome your suggestions and comments. There are also a number of committees and task forces that are created to pursue particular issues and these need people and especially ideas. If you have something to contribute, consider getting involved. We will all benefit from it.
Jean-Luc Pilon