From August to October 1996 an archaeological dig was conducted in Champlain Park, a city park in North Bay. The project was sponsored by the City of North Bay as part of Heritage North, a regional tourism initiative based upon the natural and human heritage of the area. Other funding came from the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada. The excavation was headed by Ryan DeFonzo, an archaeologist who supervised during the previous two digs in the Spring of 1996 and the Fall of 1995.

The investigation restricted itself to the Northern extent of the North Bank site on the LaVase River. The project had two main goals: to identify the limits of the site partially excavated by the two previous groups; as well as develop public-oriented programs, in the interest of tourism. The archaeological team supervised volunteer excavators on the site, and developed and conducted interpretive tours for the public.

The archaeological team was attempting to find the Northern extent of the site proper. Squares were opened approximately 15 metres from the known site. Even though little was expected, the initial square revealed a localized sherd scatter. The scatter was exciting because previous digs recovered few mendable sherds. Another scatter, probably from the same vessel, continued when the adjacent square was excavated. One of the fragments still contained a burnt seed attached to the sherd. Here was a remnant of someone's burnt dinner, perhaps five hundred years earlier!

At this point, it is unknown how the vessel was deposited where it was excavated. It is too early to determine if the vessel is still within the site or if the vessel was removed and placed outside of the site proper. To date, part of the archaeological team has begun the reconstruction of the vessel. However, at present, it will be impossible to completely reconstruct the vessel because not all pottery fragments were unearthed. Perhaps, with funding in 1997, the team will be able to retrieve the remaining fragments by excavating more squares adjacent to the two sherd-filled squares, and completely reconstruct the vessel in its original form.

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