The Detectorists Canada

[Charlesetta Blare]

You might not think that a show about a pair of middle age-ish men with arguable man-child tendencies and a somewhat fanatical devotion to their metal detecting hobby would be of any great value. But missing out on Detectorists on CBC Gem would be like missing out on a chest of hidden metallic treasure.

As members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, Andy and Lance have a network of detectorist friends and enablers that they meet with on a regular basis to discuss their metal detecting finds and play at personal club politics.

Andy has a theory that a ship full of ancient Saxon treasure is buried somewhere on a local farm. Problem is, the farm owner isn't known to be very friendly to detectorists. And there's lingering local gossip that the owner has killed his wife and buried her body somewhere on the farm.

Andy and Lance find mostly pieces of wire and rusted toy cars on the farm. But Andy insists, convinced by his studies and by people in his circle with similar interests, that there's something to his theory and that the ship is out there.

Is there really buried Saxon treasure on the farm? Is there really a body buried somewhere on the farm? Or is the farm just some kind of sad toy car dumping ground? Andy and Lance are determined to find out. And the show is as addictive to watch as Andy and Lance's metal detecting habits.

Detectorists is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Crook plays Andy, alongside Toby Jones' Lance. Both Crook and Jones are familiar faces. You might recognize Crook from Pirates of the Caribbean, Game of Thrones, or the U.K. version of The Office. Jones has appeared in the Captain America films as well as The Hunger Games and Doctor Who.

Although Detectorists is fictional, the basic story behind the show isn't 100 per cent fantasy. In August this year, for example, a detectorist in the U.K. dug up a hoard of 1,000 silver coins on the grounds of a local pub.

If you want to dig even deeper into the world of detectorists and metal detecting, CBC Archives somewhat recently dug up a story from way back in 1982 about a real-life Canadian with a metal-detecting hobby.

One of my metal detecting buddies said I need to interview Detectorist and YouTuber R Dogg Treasure Hunter. Of course, I had to reach out with my British Columbia, Canadian roots, knowing R Dogg, and detecting a lot on the west coast of Canada. I definitely was delighted he responded and was open to being interviewed. But he gave me one stipulation; I can not post a photo of him. However, I do get to post photos of some of his cool finds. Also, he shared some metal detecting tips even intermediate and advanced detectorists would find informative in exchange for keeping his anonymity.

R Dogg Treasure Hunter enjoys metal detecting parks, curb strips, beaches, and abandoned tourist traps from old bus stations to ski resorts. He is basically up to metal detect almost anywhere and gives a real perspective of what you could find in the same types of locations. Those who I know enjoy following him because his videos are honest and real. You can tell he loves the hobby.

When did you start metal detecting, and what pulled you to the hobby?
I am going on four years of detecting. I started with magnet fishing, which quickly got me interested in detecting. I saw a few YouTube videos on detecting and was hooked before I even bought a machine.

What are some of the coolest places you have detected, and why?
I found a spot in our lake, where a paddle-wheeler ferry would dock, to carry people across, long before there was a bridge. The spot had never been detected before and was absolutely full of old coins, relics, and beautiful gold and silver jewelry. A detectorist is lucky to find a spot like that once in a lifetime.

Are you more excited about finding gold rings, interesting coins, or old relics, and why?
I am blessed to live in one of the most beautiful, and most visited places in Canada. It is quite developed, so it is very good for more modern treasures. As much as I like to find relics, I am always very excited to find gold jewelry. Gold is such a challenge to find, as so many of the trash targets ring up like gold on a metal detector.

How do you do your search to find older or abandoned sites to metal detect? What tips can you give our readers to find such sites?
For historic sites, I often view old pictures from museums, as well as historic websites. I look for spots in pictures that may show ground that has not changed over the years. For modern treasure hunting, I spend a lot of time on Google maps looking for green spaces or shorelines that may be fun to hunt.

If your time is limited and you are metal detecting a new park, where do you like to concentrate your time to find rings or other fine jewelry?
With limited time, I would avoid picnic areas, as they tend to have a lot of trash targets, and I would focus on the edges of pathways, or I would grid an open area where people are more likely to play sports and games. I also always hunt the tot lots, as they are easy digging and quick to detect.

Do you have any other metal detecting tips you would like to share with our readers?
The best advice I can offer would be how well you know your machine is more important than which machine you choose. Swing the coil slow, low, and wide, and gridding a smaller area is always better than wandering all over a large area.

Joanna Jana Laznicka, a Czech-Canadian residing in Southern California, is passionate about all things associated with metal detecting. She mainly detects on the West Coast, from Southern California to Northern British Columbia. As the founder of Focus Speed, her goal is to bring quality content to metal detectorists.

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One way to make money with metal detecting is by hunting for coins. Many people lose coins in public places like beaches, parks, and hiking trails, making them potential targets for metal detectorists.

If you have expertise in metal detecting, you can offer your services to those in need. This includes forensic detection and recovery services, helping people find lost items like rings or other jewelry, or even offering antique relics to museums or art galleries.

Before you start scanning the soil, familiarize yourself with local regulations regarding metal detecting. Some areas may have restrictions or require permits, and violating these rules can lead to fines or confiscation of your equipment.

While not every find may be a jackpot, the potential for both financial and intrinsic rewards makes metal detecting a pursuit that can be as profitable as you make it. Therefore you should learn important things about metal detectors before buying.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, which administers the heritage act, would not comment on enforcement or how the act should be interpreted when it comes to detectorists.

The City of Hamilton does not have a metal-detecting bylaw, but there is a parks bylaw that prohibits the removal of any property, including relics and artifacts, from city-owned parks. Information about bylaw violations by detectorists was unavailable because of the ongoing cybersecurity incident with the city.

Mike Guarascia, who is hosting the pop-up event, says members of the local detectorist community tend to focus their relic searches on public wooded areas or private property that they have received permission to use. Designated heritage sites such as Dundurn Park or Battlefield Park are avoided.

Guarascia says he has never been charged for collecting relics and knows of no other detectorist who has faced legal consequences. But in January 2023, he received a warning email from the Heritage Branch of the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

The email, signed by Gavin Downing, the director of the Heritage Branch, said provincial officials were aware of his detectorist work through his book and television show, YouTube videos as well as an article in The Spectator, which presumably referred to a column I wrote on Jan. 17, 2023 about the pop-up museum and his metal-detecting passion.

Canada is one of the best countries for metal detecting and gold prospecting (not so much for treasure hunting if you want to know!), so many wannabe detectorists become interested in whether they can detect, how, where, and what laws are applied. It is important to be aware of the legislation and rules applied in different provinces, and it is also important to be aware of the peculiarities of metal detecting in Canada. Unless a wannabe detectorist joins a local club, they are likely to make many typical newbie mistakes. However, this is where Detect History has your back covered. In this detailed overview, you will learn everything about Canadian laws on metal detecting, prohibitions, locations, potential finds, gold prospecting, and much more. Check out the overview to start metal detecting with success.

Besides typical potential finds for hobby detecting (more on them later in the overview), Canada is rich in various metals and minerals, including valuable metals like gold. However, at the same time, Canada is a complicated place for detectorists, especially for beginners and those metal detecting with hand-held equipment.

Canada is a rather cold region, so most of the year, metal detecting without special equipment is kinda impossible for individual detectorists. The country is also rough in weather and climate sometimes, plus the terrain is complicated. Huge regions are covered with woods, other regions are rocky. Canadian soils are also very various; typical soils can be Brunisol, Luvisol, Vertisol, Gleysol, Solonetz, Organic, Cryosol, Chernozem, Podzol, Regosol, meaning that the ground mineralization differs a lot from region to region.

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