Canada Lost and Sunken Treasure
Canada is full of treasures, the Oak Island Money pit, lost gold mines, sunken treasure, etc. Just off of Nova Scotia, it is estimated that close to 10,000 ships with cargo and treasure are resting on the bottom of the ocean. We used to be able to work these wrecks under the Canadian Treasure Trove Act once we obtain a license. However, this Act was repealed in 2010, yet in some instances, such as the Oak Island Money Pit, treasure recovery has been allowed and has been the subject of hit TV shows.
Well before the repeal of the Treasure Trove Act, I went to Canada with a business associate who had the salvage rights to numerous shipwrecks in Canada, primarlily Nova Scotia shipwrecks and had obtained government issued Treasure Trove Licenses to work these wrecks. I remember meeting with the government officials and showing them the AutoCAD system we were planning on using, similar to the AutoCAD system used on the 1715 Treasure Fleet in Florida, and they were very impressed and said it was better than even what they, the Canadian government, was using at the time for the Nova Scotia sunken treasure. Here in Florida there has been a long and successful relationship with the government, state archaeologist, and the private sector (over 5o years) in recovering, preserving and sharing with the public many of the rare treasures and artifacts recovered from the 1715 Treasure Fleet.
The following videos and photos are from back when we were licensed to be diving and working the wrecks under the Treasure Trove Act. Hopefully one day Canada will once again work with the private sector which would help stop and prevent anyone from doing unauthorized looting of the wrecks. However, it is still possible to work with the government and obtain permission as in the case of the Oak Island Money Pit treasure recovery operation.