Prehistoric artefacts discovered an hour away from Montreal

The City of Sorel-Tracy, just over an hour away from Montreal, says it has made a 'major' archaeological discovery. (Sorel-Tracy)

The City of Sorel-Tracy, just over an hour away from Montreal, says it has made a “major” archaeological discovery in Simard Park during work to prepare for the construction of a Bleu Blanc Rouge refrigerated skating rink, as first reported by Noovo Info.

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A number of artefacts were found during the archaeological dig, indicating “prehistoric occupation of the area between 6,150 and 8,200 years ago,” including charcoal and cut quartz tools.

‘We discovered remains from the 18th Century, when there was a farm here," said archaeologist Yves Chrétien in a YouTube video posted by the city.

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He adds that as his team continued digging in the archaeological trenches, they reached a deeper level that uncovered the prehistoric remains.

“The objects we discovered are made of cut stone, so the natives of that era were here on the banks of the river [...] after their occupation, the water level rose again, flooding the whole area,” he explained, pointing to the layers of sand in the trench, which would have covered the objects.

Among the pieces of cut quartz, Chrétien’s team also discovered a large fragment of quartzite that was used to create tools.

Chrétien describes the site as a place used by Indigenous people to “test materials.”

“They probably walked all along the river, and when they saw a block of stone that was suitable for carving, they hit it to test it,” he said.

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This is not the first major archaeological find in the region.

In October 2024, artefacts dating from the 18th and 19th centuries were discovered near the Governors’ Cottage.

These included shards of earthenware vessels, metal hardware, glass and mammal bones.