Upper Nicola Band building community centre finds human remains, halts construction

A logo for the Upper Nicola Band is shown in this undated handout image from the Band's Facebook page.

The Upper Nicola Band in B.C.'s southern Interior says construction crews building a new community centre have discovered human remains.

The band says in a news release that police were contacted immediately after crews unearthed the remains, which were determined to be "not recent."

It says construction was stopped after the discovery, and security was brought in to protect the remains at the site, located in the community of Quilchena, about 25 kilometres northeast of Merritt.

The release says the project's archeologist on record is working with the Upper Nicola Band to deal with the remains using "appropriate protocols."

The band says it will hold a meeting for members on Thursday at the site to "discuss next steps."

Construction on the Quilchena Community Centre began in March and a design booklet for the project says the "vision" for the project aims to make the centre "a gathering place that upholds, celebrates and shares Upper Nicola’s Sylix culture and heritage."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2024.