Tom Ballantine

Tom Ballantine received the 2003 FBP Directors Award in recognition for his contribution towards the various archaeology programs and digs hosted by the FBP along the Bonnechere River and at Basin Depot over the past decade.

In 2002, at the invitation of Park Superintendent Jim Fraser, Tom became a member of the Bonnechere Cultural Heritage Project which conducts scientific studies, collects information and develops protection models relevant to key cultural heritage sites in the region. A licensed archaeologist, Tom hails from Gooderham and is curator of the Haliburton Highlands Museum.

Although he had no previous connection with the Bonnechere River Valley, Tom understands the value of what he learns through his explorations and studies of this region. “You can take what we’re doing here on this river home to your town and do the same thing,” he said. “It’s just that here there’s a bunch of people who wanted to do it. They had the gumption to go out and do it.”