Our Staff
Archaeology Staff
Ian R. Wilson, M.A., Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, RPCA. Mr. Wilson is the Principal Investigator and Project Manager at I.R. Wilson Consultants Ltd. He founded the company in 1983 and has over 34 years of archaeological experience throughout B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Alaska, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Africa. Mr. Wilson has been consulting at a managerial level in western Canada for 30 years, the past 25 years primarily in B.C. He has been involved in all different stages of archaeological research, overviews and traditional use studies, impact assessments, small scale excavations, and large scale excavations. Large scale excavations supervised by Mr. Wilson have made important contributions to the archaeology of the south coast (Cable Bay, Cowichan River, Craig Bay, Departure Bay), northern Vancouver Island (Port Hardy), the northeast (Pink Mountain), the central interior (Little Horsefly Lake) and the southern interior (Monte Creek). Several of the small scale excavations also resulted in significant new information such as work at several sites in Sechelt and throughout Vancouver Island. Mr. Wilson has authored well over 600 reports, including books and manuscripts, and has held by far the most archaeological permits in the province.
Shane Bond, B.A., Anthropology (with distinction), University of Victoria, RPCA. Mr. Bond is a senior archaeologist and is the Company Director at I.R. Wilson Consultants Ltd. He has over 12 years of experience in British Columbia including northern, central and coastal regions of the province and has a comprehensive background in western North American archaeology. Mr. Bond has supervised many large-scale research, excavation, salvage, survey and monitoring projects. He also has several years of archaeological laboratory experience conducting lithic, bone and antler artifact analysis. Mr. Bond has been working as a consulting archaeologist in British Columbia since 1997and has field director and permit holder status across the province. He has authored and co-authored numerous technical permit reports.
Simon Kaltenrieder, B.A. (Hons.), Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, RPCA. Mr. Kaltenrieder is a senior archaeologist, permit holder, and project manager. He has over 14 years of experience in archaeology, including survey, excavation, monitoring, analysis, reporting, and project management. Mr Kaltenreider’s experience in development-related consulting archaeological projects ranges from forestry and residential developments to large-scale bridge and highways projects. The bulk of his considerable experience has been in British Columbia, where he has worked along the entire coast and throughout the southern and central interior. He has considerable experience in the lower mainland of B.C., where he has worked in a diversity of development contexts. He has also worked in Alberta and in the American southwest. Mr. Kaltenrieder has experience in researching archaeological sites and cultural materials ranging from the early prehistoric to the contact era. He has authored numerous interim and permit reports.
Dave Hutchcroft, B.A., Archaeology, Simon Fraser University. Mr. Hutchcroft is the Regulatory Advisor at I.R. Wilson Consultants Ltd. and has accumulated over 35 years of archaeological experience that have taken him to all areas of British Columbia. Most importantly, in his capacity as Project Officer at the Archaeology Branch for 12 years, he has managed, on behalf of the Province of British Columbia, over 1000 permitted archaeological projects located across B.C. and has gained an expert knowledge of the Heritage Conservation Act and the archaeological permitting process. Furthermore, his 13 years as Collections Registrar at the Archaeology Division of the Royal B.C. Museum have gained him a province-wide knowledge of First Nations material culture. He also has extensive experience in archaeological survey and excavation, and is well versed in culturally modified tree dating techniques and analysis. During his tenure at I.R. Wilson Consultants Ltd., he has written, co-authored and edited numerous technical permit and non-permit reports.
Ryan A. Spady, B.A. Anthropology, University of Alberta. Mr. Spady is a senior archaeologist and permit holder in British Columbia. He has been working in consulting archaeology since 2001. He has worked extensively throughout Alberta and British Columbia with a focus on the Central Interior, Okanagan, Kootenays and Northeast regions of British Columbia, and the Parkland, Foothills, Rocky Mountains, Plains and Boreal Forest regions of Alberta. His areas of expertise include lithic analysis and fracture mechanics, mitigative excavation, forestry survey, and oil and gas survey. He has undertaken project management duties in British Columbia and has authored numerous traditional use and permit reports.
Rena Varsakis, B.A. Archaeology, Simon Fraser University; M.Sc. Archaeology, University of Lethbridge; Ph.D. studies Archaeology, University of Cambridge, UK. Ms. Varsakis has over 13 years of experience in archaeology in Western Canada and abroad. Her areas of expertise include lithic analysis, faunal analysis, historical archaeology, and the archaeology of the Northwest Coast, Northwestern Plains, Rocky Mountains and Britain. She has worked on archaeological projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, England, Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ms. Varsakis has experience in a range of environmental zones in Canada including Northwest Coast, Plains, parkland, and alpine regions. Her experience in the research of heritage resource sites and cultural materials ranges from the Early Prehistoric Period to the 20th century. She has worked in an archaeological capacity in government, university, museum and consulting environments, including roles in archaeological survey, excavation, and monitoring, administration, laboratory analysis. She also has extensive experience with management of archaeological and heritage collections, archival and historical research, policy writing and editing, and teaching field and lab skills at the university level and for public archaeology programs.
Kristina Bowie, B.A., Anthropology, University of Victoria, B.C. (emphasis physical/biological anthropology and osteology); Certificate in International Human Rights Law (Oxford, UK). Ms. Bowie is currently completing her Masters in Anthropology, University of Victoria, B.C. She is a permit holder, field director and holds HRIA access. She has been consulting full time in archaeology, paleontology and forensics for 7 years. She has completed several training courses in forensic anthropology and genocide studies and has assisted on forensic cases. Ms Bowie has extensive field survey experience across BC from the lowlands to the alpine, as well as the tundra of the Western High Arctic, Northwest Territories. Her areas of expertise include excavation and recovery and recording of human burials and various site features, forensic and osteological analysis, paleoethnobotanical methods and analysis, artifact analysis, CMT survey and dendrochronological analysis. Ms Bowie is also certified NAS level 1 underwater archaeological survey and has authored numerous permit reports.
Erin Willows B.A., Anthropology, University of Victoria (focus on archaeology, osteology and medical anthropology). Ms. Willows has over 9 years experience as an archaeological consultant in British Columbia and has pemit holding status. She has also been involved in a multi-component archaeological research project in the Acari Valley, Peru with an emphasis on osteology and palaeopathology. Ms. Willows’ expertise includes human osteology, palaeopathology, ethnography, qualitative research design, archaeological excavation, survey and artifact analysis. She has been a key research assistant to expert witnesses in British Columbia archaeological legal proceedings and she has authored numerous permit reports.
Jonathan Hall, M.A., Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, B.A. (Hons.), Archaeology, University of Saskatchewan. Mr. Hall has worked in archaeology since 2001, including two years of consulting archaeology in British Columbia. He has conducted archaeological, geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental research, including literary, in-field and laboratory contexts, in Saskatchewan and British Columbia including the plains, parkland, boreal forest, Northwest Coast, Okanagan, and central interior environments. His areas of interest include western North American prehistory, the prehistory of the Great Plains, lithic analysis, experimental archaeology (focused primarily on stone tool reproduction), and Early Paleoindian adaptations and technology. Mr. Hall has worked in an archaeological capacity in academic and consulting environments and has performed survey, mitigation, monitoring, laboratory analyses, interpretation, and reporting. He has authored numerous permit reports.
Steven Hamm, B.A. (Archaeology), Simon Fraser University. Mr. Hamm is a field director for coastal B.C. with five years of experience in archaeology throughout British Columbia. He has extensive survey experience in a variety of environments and has supervised the excavation of several pithouse and longhouse villages as well as seasonal occupation sites. Mr. Hamm has conducted archaeological and ethnographic research throughout the Northwest Coast and Interior Plateau of British Columbia and has acquired a wealth of experience liaising, working for and directly with First Nations representatives from several communities. His research interests include: Northwest Coast and Interior Plateau of British Columbia prehistory; ritual indicators in the archaeological record; origins of social complexity; geoarchaeology; geomorphology and taphonomic processes. He has authored and co-authored numerous interim and permit reports.
Company Specialists
Armando Anaya-Hernandez, Ph.D. Archaeology, University of Calgary. Dr. Anaya is a senior GIS (Geography Information Systems) analyst, an archaeologist and a permit holder in Alberta. He has over 26 years of experience in archaeological investigation in Mesoamerica and Canada and has directed several projects in British Columbia as well as Australia. Dr. Anaya’s experience in consulting archaeology includes survey, excavation, monitoring, analysis, reporting, project management and development of GIS-based archaeological model for forestry, oil and gas, urban and highway developments in Mexico, Alberta and British Columbia. In addition to these skills, he has considerable field experience in pre-contact and historical archaeology. He has authored several reports and scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals.
Tracy Cardinal, BSc Geography, University of Victoria. Ms Cardinal is the GIS technician at I.R. Wilson Consultants Ltd. and is responsible for drafting and compiling all project maps. She brings over 14 years of GIS and cartography expertise to the project team. Ms. Cardinal transforms raw data acquired during field studies into high quality, easy to read, concise, and accurate cartographic images. She has worked on a variety of GIS projects in the fields of archaeology, fisheries biology and contaminated site remediation in British Columbia and Alberta. Ms Cardinal is also skilled in AutoCAD and digital image processing.
Andrew Hickok, BA, University of Victoria, MSc (with distinction), University of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Mr. Hickok is an osteologist, archaeologist and anthropologist. With over eleven years experience with human remains and mortuary analysis, Mr. Hickok has worked closely with many Aboriginal groups in archaeological projects concerning the recovery, analysis, interpretation and ceremonial reburial of human skeletal remains, and has worked on developing protocols to respect cultural traditions and practices of First Nations. His research interests include human osteology, Northwest Coast archaeology, population movements; status indicators in funerary contexts; the development of social hierarchies and stratification; palaeopathology and trauma; as well as forensic anthropology, facial reconstruction, and palaeoanthropology. Andrew is currently a PhD candidate in the department of archaeology at Simon Fraser University. He has coauthored collaborative peer-reviewed articles with Aboriginal colleagues and has coauthored numerous permit reports.
Support Staff
Derece Powell, Business Administration (Honours), Sprott-Shaw Community College, Port Coquitlam. Ms. Powell is the company’s Office Manager and is responsible for report production, permit applications, incoming and outgoing correspondence, reception, email, office supply inventory control and many other tasks. Ms. Powell has over 9 years’ administrative experience and a second diploma in business administration (Trebas Institute, Vancouver). She has held administrative positions with not-for-profit, public and private sector businesses in British Columbia and has extensive experience in all aspects of senior administration including sitting as a Board secretary for three years.
