Human bones found by construction crew digging in Manotick

Human bones havebeen found by a construction crew digging at a work site in the south Ottawa community ofManotick, police say.

Ottawa police were called to Cabrelle Place inMaple Creek Estates, a housing development under constructionby Uniform Developments,at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The site is not far fromBankfieldand First Line roads.

What appeared to be a human jawbone and some vertebrae were found in shallow soil as a crew was digging the foundation for a deck.

Chris Napior, a Manotick resident and businessman, found out about the bones on social media, then came to visit the site.

Site heavilybackfilled

He told CBC Newsthe land had been vacant farmland for years, and that a lot of backfill has been trucked in over time.

"Many different sources a lot of fill came in to these properties. It was vacant farmland for years, so who knows how long it's been sitting there. ...It didn't seem that [the bones were]too deep," Napier said.

"It's pretty much the talk of the town. Manotick is like Mayberry,it's pretty quiet,so this is some excitement going on. It's too bad, what it is."

A forensic anthropologist was called to the siteand arrived from Toronto on Thursday, police said. As of 1 p.m. Thursday, no determination had been made about whether foul play was involved.

The major crimes unit is keeping an eye on the file, and the investigation continues.