Whaling, Underwater Archaeology
Archaeologist to Give Free Lecture
at Science and Tech Museum
Friday, September 30, 2005 – 8:00 p.m.

Ottawa — Archaeologist Robert Grenier will give a free, bilingual, public lecture about his work on one of the world’s most exciting underwater archaeology projects next Friday, September 30 at 8:00 p.m. in the Canada Science and Technology Museum’s auditorium.

The Parks Canada archaeologist is a leading figure in the world of underwater archaeology. Well known as a great communicator, Robert Grenier will talk about his team’s work excavating the wrecks of four whaling ships and several smaller boats, all of Basque origin, found preserved in icy waters near Red Bay, Labrador. One of the vessels is the San Juan, a whaler that sank in 1565, and is one of North America’s oldest known heritage wrecks. Grenier will also talk about the new discoveries his team made at the Red Bay site this summer. The innovative methods Robert Grenier has developed during the excavation have made the Red Bay site an international model for scientific research.

As a complement to Robert Grenier’s lecture, the Canada Science and Technology museum is putting on a small exhibition on the project titled A Whale of a Story: Uncovering Sixteenth-Century Whaling at Red Bay. The exhibition runs until October 18, 2005, and includes artifacts found at the site, as well as some replicas and ship models. The Red Bay artifacts have revealed a great deal about this little-known period in Canada’s history, which saw some of the earliest European visitors to Canada and a booming whaling industry.

From trains to telephones, and satellites to snowmobiles, all the Canada Science and Technology Museum’s activities and exhibitions offer a glimpse into Canada’s rich science and technology heritage. Main exhibition halls and displays are open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays, except holidays. Admission is $6; $3 for children (ages 4-14); $5 for students and seniors; $14 for a family (2 adults and 3 children); children under 4 are free. The Canada Science and Technology Museum is located at 1867 St. Laurent Boulevard and offers free parking on-site.

General information: Call 613 991-3044 or our Toll free number: 1-866-442-4416.

Media contact:
Caroline Desabrais, 613 998-5342, cdesabrais@technomuses.ca