"Don't dig, please," Chief Dominic Frederick implored Mayor Lyn Hall with a laugh during a press conference Friday offering an update on the pavilion being built at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park.
The remains of 11 people have been discovered during the archeological excavation done ahead of the planned construction.
The remains are currently housed at The Exploration Place with talks between the city and the Lheidli T'enneh exploring the likelihood of having a mausoleum built in the park's cemetery as a final resting place.
"It's important for us to respect the (human) remains that have been found," Hall said.
Hall said the city knew there had been a Lheidli T'enneh burial ground and village on the park site, so it was no surprise human remains were found.
"The city is having the Lheidli T'enneh band council take the lead on the deciding factors for the final resting place of the 11 ancestors.
"From our part we'd like to see them not digging anymore or trying to build more within the park and do the least possible and I think that it's only proper that they respect that because the more you dig the more you're going to find," Frederick said.
The Prince George city council and the Lheidli T'enneh band council worked together to develop the idea of building a pavilion to foster a gathering place for the entire community and it will continue to be built as planned, Hall said.
To enhance public education, the pavilion will have a public art display featuring Lheidli T'enneh culture, language and history. The pavilion replaces the picnic shelter that was located close to the water park and the playground at the park.
Viking Construction of Prince George is building the pavilion with a budget of $809,000.
The pouring for the concrete structural columns went ahead Friday, while completion of the project is expected in the fall.
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