The Ontario Marine Heritage Committee turns 50 in 2025!
The OMHC is a non-profit organization founded to promote research, interpretation and preservation of Ontario’s marine heritage. After nearly 50 years, that commitment is as strong as ever!
Since its formation, the OMHC has supported and been actively involved in over 60 research projects (some of these long term) around the province. Topics have been as varied as submerged prehistoric shorelines, caves and portage sites, shipwrecks, comparative surveys, resource monitoring and early port documentation. Members have presented over 30 training workshops and seminars and have been actively involved in government-sponsored reviews of heritage legislation and regulations. Communication and outreach has been enhanced by the OMHC website, Facebook page and newsletters.
The OMHC was instrumental in promoting the creation of the Ontario Marine Heritage and Underwater Archaeology Resource Centre housed in the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre.
The OMHC regularly liaises with provincial government on matters of marine archaeology. Current membership includes professional archaeologists, marine historians, and people with extensive experience in underwater technology/equipment, photography and mapping. The membership includes divers with experience on sites all over Ontario, other parts of Canada and internationally.
It is our goal to keep the strengths of our organization, totally volunteer and not for profit, in a position where we can not only celebrate our accomplishments of the past 50 years, but continue to plan for future projects in marine heritage and archaeology. In 2024 alone, we ran multiple projects:
- Excavation of a shipwreck located on the shoreline of Point Farms Provincial Park (near Goderich)
- Excavation of what are possibly the remains of the shipwreck JERSEY CITY, which wrecked off the coast of Long Point, Lake Erie in 1860. Part of her remains are buried in the beach sands of the outskirts of Long Point
- Continued survey and ground truth “hits” looking for the remains of the MAGNET in Lake Ontario
- Surveyed and recorded in 3D the shipwreck OLIVER MOWAT in Lake Ontario
- Researching dug-out canoes in Ontario
- Surveying wreckage and trying to identify them in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Region
- Continued work is being done on recording the wreckage of the GOLDEN WEST in Georgian Bay
All of these projects are being done by volunteers, primarily with their own monies funding their projects.
We’re asking for your assistance to keep our organization strong and vibrant. Any contributions that you can make towards supporting the Ontario Marine Heritage Museum, the 50th year celebrations and on-going and future projects would be a positive step in the recording and preservation of our very finite marine heritage.
