Fears that bone fragments discovered on Oct. 9 of last year, on the site of Thornhill Golf and Country Club (TGCC) were human have been quelled, as the remains have now been determined to be non-human.

The discovery triggered TGCC, which sits mere feet from the Holy Trinity Cemetery, host to graves dating back to 1832, to bring their plans to construct an in-ground pool and cabana to a halt. 

“It was determined that the remains were not human and that of a small cow or horse, due to the number of ribs and size of the teeth,” said Cathy Pearson, manager of the cemetery. 

“When there is a strong assumption that it is human, all activity must stop,” said Neil Rodgers, a board member of TGCC. 

But the province’s process regulating archaeological methods dragged on for months. 

“We would have known last October in 24 hours,” Rodgers said.

Ministry of Government and Consumer Affairs confirmed that the remains are non-human and have stated that TGCC is obliged to cease work if more remains are found. 

“The site was a tannery at one point, so finding bones at the location would not be extraordinary,” said Alan Shefman, councillor for Ward 5 of Vaughan.
But Cathy Pearson remains troubled over the TGCC’s plans for construction so close to the cemetery. 

“We continue to be very concerned that there will be no oversight of the work to ensure compliance and are now resigned on the fact that we must rely on the integrity and skill of workers operating heavy equipment to spot bone fragments in an area very close to a deemed historical burial site,” said Pearson. 

Despite Pearson’s concerns, an agreement has been reached over construction and operational protocol including sound barriers and closing the pool for funeral services.