It has been more than 18 months since the surprise discovery of ancient human remains forced a sudden stop at an east Toronto construction site, but there are lingering questions about moving forward.It was on Jan. 5, 2024, when crews replacing a lead pipe from the 1880s buried under a public sidewalk on Withrow Avenue, just east of Broadview Avenue between Gerrard Street East and Danforth Avenue, came across human bones. After Toronto police officers were called, the dig site as well as a truck containing soil were ordered to be protected. Provincial coroners and the Ontario registrar for burials exercised their authorities to order the City of Toronto to preserve the remains. An anthropologist determined the remains to be of Indigenous origin.Ever since the discovery, the sidewalk has been covered with a tent and fencing while under 24-hour security guard supervision. Municipal officials estimated the cost of security to be around $350,000 to $400,000 to date.“I guess I can’t get that worked up about the cost because we have so many other costs, but that is something people have talked about the cost of it. Is it necessary?” Peter Sanders, a North Riverdale resident, told reporters while walking past the scene Monday afternoon, adding he’s surprised the matter is still ongoing.“It will be nice to have an update of any kind I think … I’m exaggerating a little bit, but to have our street returned to normal would be nice.” Heritage Toronto called the area near where the remains were found “one of Toronto’s most complex archaeological sites,” noting artifacts believed to be as old as 5,000 years old and a potential 700-year-old communal burial chamber were found.“Archaeological evidence shows that we have 600 generations of settlement, ceremony and care for the land,” Lisa Merritt, an archeologist and the vice-president of ASI Heritage — a consultancy hired by the City of Toronto to help with the matter, said on Monday.The City of Toronto and representatives with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation called an unexpected news conference Monday afternoon to provide a long-awaited update on efforts, dubbing it a “pre-emptive measure.”“This incident has left our nation with a feeling of unrest,” Chief Claire Sault told journalists at city hall, emphasizing the First Nation has treaty rights for the area.“We are stewards of these lands, stewards of these waters, and guardians of the legacy of our ancestorsCity staff said 10 out of 11 First Nations stakeholders have agreed on a way forward under the burial investigations process. It was alleged the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI) didn’t agree.“The ask that they put forward is just we couldn’t reach agreement. They were unrelated to the details of the burial site investigation; they were very broad range,” Lou Di Gironimo, the general manager of Toronto Water, said.”Sault alleged false land claims have been made throughout the process and called the issue “deeply distressing.” “This is unacceptable. The obstruction of this group is not serving reconciliation, it is not advancing meritorious claims, it is not protecting the rights or interests of legitimate rights holders. It is lawless, it is self-serving and it is illegitimate,” she said. CityNews contacted HDI after the news conference ended Monday afternoon, but a response wasn’t received by the time of publication. If a response is received, this story will be updated.As for what comes next, the municipality is looking to issue a report to the Ontario government by the fall. The consultants hired by the City are also looking to expand the dig site.“Our role in this situation is to document with care and consult thoroughly, and provide the registrar sufficient information to work with the descendants of the deceased to determine what will happen with the burial site,” Merritt said.“To fulfull the registrar’s burial site investigation order … we will begin very carefully to excavate any areas of lawn or soft-scaping by hand, which will be done in one-metre-square units and following a very methodical grid pattern.“This excavation will then expand as far as is necessary to determine the full extent of the ancestral remains and their origin.”