ALLEGATIONS OF UPPER CANADA VILLAGE ARTIFACT THEFT UNSUBSTANTIATED

“The St. Lawrence Parks Commission has no record of artifact theft at Upper Canada Village” says Pat Macdonald, General Manager and CEO of the Commission. “Despite allegations of artifact theft that have been made at public meetings and quoted in news reports in recent weeks, we have absolutely no record of specific lost, stolen or missing items.

“We are in the process of following up with every person who has stated that they believe our artifacts are at risk and that they think there has been theft. Where, through investigation, we are able to confirm theft or other illegal activity, we will follow through aggressively and take any appropriate legal action, including prosecution. Anyone that has made allegations of artifact theft will be formally interviewed by the appropriate legal authorities,” said Macdonald. Anyone who has knowledge of the theft of artifacts from the Upper Canada Village collection should contact Dave Dobbie, Manager of Upper Canada Village at 613-543-3704 or by email dave.dobbie@parks.on.ca.

“Our security and investigation processes and procedures are subject to ongoing review and strengthening to minimize the risk of losses from our collection,” explained Dave Dobbie.

The Upper Canada Village curatorial staff follow recognized museum protocol in handling and exhibiting all artifacts. In 1995, the Village introduced a computerized artifact and tracking system. It includes a record of accession numbers and vital information for each item. Upper Canada Village’s vigilant staff are responsible for the security of the collection both on display and in storage. Their job responsibilities include making a twice-daily inventory check and monitoring all activity on the Upper Canada Village site. This includes monitoring visitor activity, security staff, and the electronic alarm system. The curatorial staff monitor the collection regularly. The Village also maintain vaults and secure areas for particularly vulnerable and sensitive materials. Both the vault and library have firewall protection. All display cases in Crysler Hall are museum quality standard display cases. They are securely locked and have UV-filter lighting.

Since 1994, Upper Canada Village has followed comprehensive procedures as outlined in the Upper Canada Village Collections Management Policy.

Upper Canada Village is located at Exit 758 off Highway 401, 11 km east of Morrisburg off County Road 2, 30 minutes (24 km) west of Cornwall, 60 minutes southeast of Ottawa and 90 miniutes west of Montreal, east of Kingston and northeast of Watertown, New York and is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until October 11. Upper Canada Village and Parks of the St. Lawrence campgrounds are managed by the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, an agency of the Government of Ontario that operates facilities in 16 municipalities stretching from Kingston to the Quebec border, including Upper Canada Village, Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada – now designated as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Crysler Park Marina, Upper Canada Golf Course, Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary and 12 campgrounds and beach day-use areas including the Long Sault and 1000 Islands Parkways.