Introduction

Ontario’s Past Portal (PastPort) is the government’s secure online archaeology and heritage portal.

Licensed archaeologists use PastPort to report their archaeological work to the ministry, including information about the archaeological sites they discover. PastPort is also where to apply for an archaeological licence.

PastPort houses the:

  • Ontario Archaeological Sites Database
  • Ontario Public Register of Archaeological Reports

PastPort services

Apply for an archaeological licence

You can use PastPort to apply for a new land-based archaeological licence.

Learn about archaeological licences and how to apply for one. Only individuals may apply for an archaeological licence. Companies and organizations may not apply.

If you wish to apply for an archaeological licence, contact archaeology@ontario.ca and the ministry will send you directions on how to enrol in PastPort and complete your licence application.

Fulfill licence obligations

Licensed archaeologists use PastPort to submit Project Information Forms (PIFs), Report Packages and Site Forms, as required by the Terms and Conditions for Archaeological Licences.

Archaeologists can also use PastPost to request expedited report reviews, report due date extensions and apply to renew their licence.

Resource centre

PastPort’s resource centre is where the ministry posts information for licensed archaeologists, ministries and prescribed public bodies.

The ministry posts its archaeological bulletins, fact sheets and memos there, along with PastPort Quick Reference Guides that explain how to do common tasks. Users can also find other useful resources such as the Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists and information on Ontario Heritage Properties.

Report register and archaeological sites database  

PastPort houses the Ontario Public Register of Archaeological Reports and the Ontario Archaeological Sites Database. Because they are sensitive and easily damaged, the location of archaeological sites is not available to the general public. This information can be accessed by licensed archaeologists through PastPort or by organizations or individuals through a data-sharing agreement with the ministry. To request a copy of an archaeological report or information about archaeological sites, email archaeology@ontario.ca.

Upload files to PastPort

Most modules in Ontario’s Past Portal (PastPort) require users to upload files to submit archeology-related documents to the ministry. Examples include licence applications, Project Information Forms (PIFs) and reports.

File formats

PastPort supports the following file types:

  • documents: pdf, pdf/a, rtf, doc, docx, txt
  • graphics: gif, jpeg, png, pdf, dwg, dxf
  • spreadsheets: xls, xlsx

File sizes

PastPort supports files up to 25MB. Compressing images in a document can significantly reduce its file size. Please contact archaeology@ontario.ca about any difficulties reducing a large file to 25MB.

PDF security settings

Archeological reports must be in PDF or PDF/A, version 8 or higher. More recent versions of Acrobat allow for smaller file sizes without reducing image quality.

Scanned images of reports will not be accepted: the PDF must be generated directly from the original document file.

Please ensure that, under the security settings for document properties, printing and content copying has been allowed. Any PDFs locked for printing or content copying will not be accepted.

The ministry will add the appropriate security to protect PDF documents made available through the register.

PDF bookmarks

PDFs of archaeological reports should have bookmarks to help readers navigate between sections. Bookmark names should match section headings. See Section 7 in the Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists for more details about report layout. PDF-generating software will automatically generate bookmarks from correctly formatted electronic documents. See your software documentation for details.

File names

The names of files uploaded to PastPort must:

  • follow the format: PIFs/Licence Number*_ Date_ Document Type
  • be less than 100 characters

For report and report-related files, include the PIF number in the file name. For PIFs- or licence-related files, include your licence number.

Document type — use these two-letter designators for the type of document:

  • CL cover letter
  • RC revised cover letter
  • DM development map
  • SL supporting letter
  • MP map
  • OC correspondence
  • OT other
  • RE report
  • RR revised report
  • RS revised supplementary documentation
  • SD supplementary documentation

PIF number — this is the Project Information Form number associated with the report or related document.

Date — single or double-digit day, three-letter abbreviation for month, four-digit year (for example, 4Sep2013)

Here are some examples:

  • A Stage 1-2 archaeological assessment report submitted on October 5, 2013, under PIF number P987-030-2013 would be named:
    • P987-030-2013_5Oct2013_RE
  • The Supplementary Documentation for a Stage 1-3 archaeological assessment report submitted on September 5, 2013, under PIF numbers P987-030-2013 and P987-032-2013 would be named:
    • P987-030-2013_P987-032-2013_5Sep2013_SD
  • A map for a PIFs submitted by licensee P987 on August 10, 2013, would be named:
    • P987_10Aug2013_MP

Contact us

For help with PastPort, email archaeology@ontario.ca.