Excavation of Archeological Resources in the Priority Active Area - Natashquan

1. ADVANCED CONTRACT AWARD NOTICE (ACAN)

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

2. DEFINITION OF THE REQUIREMENT
2.1. Objective

The objective is to carry out an excavation of the archaeological resources of the identified area, in accordance with the recommendations resulting from the archaeological potential study and the archaeological inventory carried out for the project to build a new fishing port in Natashquan by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
The intervention must make it possible to document, excavate, record and adequately recover the archaeological data present in the area in question in order to free up the right-of-way for the development of the new port facilities.
The search must be completed no later than September 15, 2026.

2.2 Background

The archaeological inventory carried out in June 2026 as part of the project for a new fishing port in Natashquan confirmed that the right-of-way of the work includes areas of high potential, particularly in the eastern portion of the site, where intact archaeological levels were identified from the first stripping and surveys. Field observations show the presence of superimposed layers of black soil interspersed with sand lenses, which suggests repeated episodes of occupation and a complex stratigraphy to be carefully documented.
The report also notes the presence of artifacts and structural evidence, including forged nails, ceramics, glass, bones, shells, charcoal, and pile marks associated with burning areas, which supports the interpretation of a sustained historical occupation, possibly linked to the Charles Robin fishing station and earlier occupations.

2.3 Requirements
2.3.1 Scope of Work

The supplier is responsible for providing the labour, tools and all services necessary to carry out the excavation of the archaeological resources of the priority active area (cyan area, priority surface of ±640m2 on the attached plan (plan N_4138_ZoneArcheologiqueActive.pdf).

(See ACAN document for complete definition of the requirement)

3. CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE STATEMENT OF CAPABILITIES (MINIMUM ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS)

Any interested supplier must demonstrate, by means of a declaration of capabilities, that it meets the following requirements:
• The supplier must be able to excavate the archaeological components of the area within the future construction right-of-way for the new harbour in accordance with the federal government's archaeological requirements.
• The supplier must have experience working according to the professional standards of archaeology in Quebec and in accordance with Parks Canada standards;
• The supplier must comply with the mandatory schedule (See section 3 Mandatory schedule);
• The supplier's senior archaeologist must have significant experience (more than 10 years) in historical archaeology and material culture for that period in Quebec;
• The supplier must be eligible for an archaeological research permit issued by the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec.

See ACAN document for full details.