When last we left the impotent elected officials of Haldimand County we had just finished ripping several strips off Deputy Mayor Tom Patterson for hiding his identity and not speaking up on the air last week. (See "Cowards of the County" a couple of postings below this one).    I'm both pleased and relieved to note that in the last 48 hours Tom Patterson has shown more leadership than the entire Haldimand Council combined since the beginning of the standoff.

First, he called my program yesterday afternoon as the Deputy Mayor to offer his and the Council's wish that last night's rally go off peacefully. As it turned out it barely went off at all and was in fact peaceful.   Tom also offered up to my radio audience an update on talks that were taking place between the County and the Province in regards to financial compensation for loss of economic activity etc etc. Details and amounts to be hammered out later. By now you might even have heard that the province has been talking to the Hennings about some financial assistance to help them stave off financial ruin while the SLOW talks continue at the SUPER SECRET Location (A motel in Brantford).

To top it all off Tom Patterson was seen working his way through the 400 people at last night's rally, stopping and discussing issues. Now THAT impressed me. In fact I walked up to Tom and shook his hand and told him that I as a Caledonia resident was proud of him for his change in approach to the situation. To be fair, most of the what's happening at the SECRET LOCATION is between the province, Feds and the Natives. The county is being treated like a little child who doesn't really understand and is better off over there at the "kids" table where they can spill their milk without messing things up for the 'Adults".    What Tom Patterson clearly understands now is the value of simply trying to keep his constituents in the loop and offer any updates in a clear manner.   He also seems to understand the importance of just BEING with the people when they gather to share thoughts and ideas and share information.

He did it on the air...without me even having to brow beat him into doing it and he did it face to face with the residents of Caledonia last night.   Give credit where credit it due...Tom Patterson is on the right track here.

Now...an observation from the gathering last night at the blockade.   I refuse to call it a rally because it simply wasn't. It wasn't organized. It featured no speeches or key messages or inspiration or information. It was as it has been for several nights before....a gathering of gawkers, none of whom were participants but simply spectators with nothing else to do on a Friday night but head on down and see if a scrap breaks out.   They were disappointed I'm sure. If it weren't for my job as a media type, I would have stayed home. As it turned out I left early knowing that the hype and sizzle leading up to the non event turned out to be just tripe and fizzle.   The gathering reminded me of those commercials encouraging people to vote... you know.. where the guy gets up when given the floor and then has nothing to say. You remember the line...."why not speak up when everyone is listening?" As much as I dump on the politicans for being cowards....I'm beginning to wonder if many of us are too?

More observations from the Caledonia standoff...

Last night I took part in a well calculated and choreographed tour of the native occupied lands at Douglas Creek Estates. I was skeptical before the tour began and I remain skeptical of the motives of protestors who suddenly felt it was important to allow the media back to see their sacred fires, first aid tent, supply tent , mess tent and cooking facilities. There were also pristine signs posted with rules including no littering, watch your speed and posted rules for youth in the camp that include a 9pm curfew and that all youth must carry proper i.d and must sign in and out of the camp.

The whole excercise in my opinion was designed to get more media attention in time for the 11pm newscasts on a day that most media types felt was "slow" in terms of developments in the story.   Native protestor spokesperson Clyde Powless told me that he met a young mother in the local Horton's who told him that her child considered him the Bogeyman. That bothered him and he wanted the people of Caledonia to know that protestors weren't hiding anything scary behind the lines.   Again I say BALONEY. There were two reasons for the tour. One was the pressure being put on protestors by non-native media for access. The other was the pure desire to keep the protest front and centre on Front pages, Televison newscasts, and talk shows.

The PR move was largely a failure due to one native protestor who just a short time later came out from behind the lines and confronted a native OPP officer, ordering him to get the police lines moved back to where officers were on the weekend.   The officer was accused by now two protestors of being treasonous to his own people. The officer responded by saying that his job is to keep everyone safe. The protestor threatened to "roll that F-ing car and burn it". A few minutes later Clyde Powless came out and retrieved the foul mouthed protestor and escorted him back to the camp. So another hothead muddies the water and so it goes and has been going since Monday when a group of hotheads moved on the protest site following the big organized town rally that called first and foremost for calm and peace.   

In the absence of progress reports and updates on timelines from elected officials at all levels, I fear the US vs Them mentality will only continue to root itself in the community.

How bizzare is it that people are now coming down to the protest site in the evening and pitching lawn chairs in front of the Canadian Tire store to watch the evening's events or non events unfold.   I'm starting to see the same faces night after night on the Caledonia side of the barricade. For some this thing is becoming a hobby or even a source of entertainment.   If rumours of a big rally of Caledonia residents tonight come to fruition, the lawn chair pitchers could get the payoff they're looking for....but as the old saying goes...be careful what you ask for because you might just get it.

That's the question I asked native spokesperson Clyde Powless last night when I met him for the second straight night at the obscenly blocked site of the occupation. Every time I look at that blockade I become more angry. Angry at the law breaking tactic and angry that our political leaders let it get to that point. Let me be clear. That blockade is a DANGER to the citizens of Caledonia. Having worked as a paramedic, I can tell you that the native's promise to let ambulances and fire trucks through comes as hollow reassurance when seconds literally count to save lives.

If that road were open those ambulances would be screaming with heart attack victims well above the speed limit to get the patient to hospital. As it stands now that can't be done safely. They have to crawl through the blockade so as not to create a few more patients in the process of dealing with the one they're transporting.   However, I digress.   I told Clyde Powless to tell his people to stop emailing me and calling me to tell me I'm a racist simply because I disagree with the tactics employed by the protestors over the last week.

It's time for at least one media person to make the following observation and I guess it will be me...The protestors in my opinion have a complete "if you're not with us...you're against us attitude" For a group that suggests to the residents of Caledonia that they see many shades of grey, they sure act and speak in black and white.

The bottom line is the same as it was on day one of the protest...THE FEDS and the PROVINCE have to deal realistically with land claims issues and DECISIONS made popular or unpopular to get this over with.

The problem my friends is that there are politicians on both sides of the blockade who are more interested in their political hides than doing what needs to be done to move forward. Regardless of what any or our versions of history are...it's 2006 and we need a modern day applicable solution NOW.

I can hear the old Kenny Rogers song ringing in my ears.

In this case the cowards of the county are the collective of Haldimand County Council.   They're afraid...very afraid. Why? because they're being exposed for the figure heads that they are. Make that impotent figure heads.   They're great at cutting ribbons, kissing babies and attending spaghetti dinners and giving the local rags the quotes they need to fill their mostly hollow pages. When it comes to advocating on behalf of their constituents...they are a huge failure and they are cowards.   An example is the absurd request made of me last week on my show when Haldimand Councillor Tom Patterson called the show and asked me to hide his identity before going on the air to voice his thoughts on the native standoff. I refused. He told me today that he felt it was Ok to call as a private citizen on the issue as well as an elected official and he chose to call as a private citizen. This "leader" is now carrying the title of Deputy Mayor and official spokesperson for Haldimand County Council.   These gutless officials are afraid because they know that situations like the Caledonia standoff seperates the men from the boys. The men so far are people like Ken Hewitt who organized the rally while trying to operate his own business, pay taxes and feed his family. People like Steve Tong who went behind the lines to talk with the protestors...the same people he went to school with and played sports with. Unlike the elected officials he got something done by reaching an agreement that would prevent the protestors from buzzing down his street at high speed on ATV's near the protest site.   It's people like Mark Watson who was not afraid to voice his rage and tell the people of Caledonia that they should withhold their taxes because they are getting nothing in return.  

He is right!!!!!!!!! The people of Caledonia are getting nothing but political double babble, excuses and apologies for the stupid things the county leaders are saying.

No leadership...no advocacy...no plan....no ideas that would lead to resolution.

Take a careful look at the people who have emerged as the real leaders in Caledonia perhaps they should be sitting in council making the decisions that these gutless politicians won't make.   Real leadership always rises to the top when times are tough...so far all of the fakes with the offical titles have sunk like stones.  

Spent most of the weekend at the site and had a chance to see how people on both sides of the issue are capable of behaving. The media stands by waiting for something to erupt between Caledonia residents and natives.   With the exception of a few hot heads who approach the site most interaction between natives and non natives is peaceful, polite and cordial.

Even as I stop to chat and with Clyde Powless, spokesperson for the protestors, I find him almost jovial. I watch as he interacts with OPP officers on the other side of the lines.   It's raining. Clyde approaches a small group of OPP cruisers. He gets inside the front passenger seat of one vehicle and engages in a discussion with the officer. I can see them sharing a smile and a laugh. Most of these officers at the site are part of the A.R.T or Aboriginal Relations Team of the OPP. A special group trained in native culture.

It's still raining and I see a group of native protesters cross the barricade on "Canada's" side of the barrier.   They're armed with garbage bags. It's earth day. They're picking up litter and garbage along both sides of Hwy 6 and in a polluted creek bed near the the Tim Horton's that has been serving as the neutral zone in this dispute.   I watch an OPP officer approach one of the native protestors who is leading the clean up crew. The officer asks how he can help? The man replies..."Get us more garbage bags".   The officer goes back to his vehicle and then heads directly over to the Canadian Tire store. He returns a few minutes later armed...with more garbage bags.   The officer and the native protestor meet directly in the middle of hwy 6 still on the "Canada" side of the barricade. The officer hands the man the garbage bags. The two shake hands and exchange smiles.

Later...two men come from inside the baptist church now land locked behind the lines. They're officials with the church. They've just completed a meeting with protestors who have assured them that their parisishoners will have easy and open access to worship at their church on Sunday.

It's still raining...Clyde Powless turns to me and says "see, even the creator wants cooler heads to prevail today"

Let's be clear. This protest can not go on in this style for much longer.   The protestors are losing ground as far as winning support outside their group from non natives because of the stupidity of burning tires, cutting hydro poles, burning bridges and other acts of vandalism.

It's a great way to get attention but I would say the wrong kind of attention. As long as the Six Nations people remain divided among themselves, their hope for a long term peaceful resolution will remain elusive.

As for the OPP.   They have failed. Their actions yesterday were taken simply because Henco Industries was in court threatening to suit the OPP for not enforcing the two court orders to remove protesters that were already in place.

Again...the Feds are brushing it aside. The Prime Minister says he's watching. How about some action and less navel gazing?

Meanwhile...the drastic actions of some protesters does little to cool the hot heads outside their community who make stupid and stereotypical remarks about Indians stealing cars and being drunks.

If what's happening in Caledonia isn't a form of anarchy, I don't know what is....I fear its going to get much worse before it ever gets better.