As part of a multi-disciplinary study team, Cultural Resource Management Group was retained by the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works to undertake the archaeological component of a combined provincial environmental assessment and federal CEAA screening of a proposed highway widening project in the Sydney-area of Cape Breton.

The objectives of the archaeological assessment were two-fold: to review the historical and environmental background of the proposed ROW with a view to determining its archaeological potential; and, to identify archaeological resources within the proposed ROW by conducting visual inspection and shovel testing in areas exhibiting moderate to high archaeological potential.

Background research identified a number of areas within the alignment where the combination of environmental, cultural and historical factors suggested moderate to high potential for encountering Precontact and/or Early Euro-Canadian archaeological features. Despite the potential exhibited as a result of the background research, the visual inspection and shovel testing failed to confirm the presence of any significant archaeological resources. The ROW has subsequently been cleared of further archaeological conditions.