311 Broad Street East

Dunnville, Ontario

Barristers - Solicitors - Notaries Public                        

May 23, 2006                         

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Re:       Native Land Occupation of Douglas Creek Estates,

Caledonia, Ontario

I am writing to you in my capacity as the President of the Haldimand Law Association, which represents lawyers practising law in Haldimand County.

The refusal of the Ontario Provincial Police to comply with and enforce valid and outstanding court orders issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in respect of the land occupation by Natives of the Douglas Creek Estates Development is of great concern to our membership. We believe that the failures of the Ontario Provincial Police to enforce direct court orders has serious implications in respect of the administration of justice, both real and perceived, and the rights of landowners not only in Caledonia and Haldimand County, but throughout the Province. We understand that the actions of the Natives in this matter are motivated by frustration by the process and manner in which Native land claims and other related issues have been dealt with by the federal and provincial governments. However, this does not permit these individuals to ignore court orders and to violate the law of this Province and Country. A fundamental characteristic of any democratic civilization is the governance of the Rule of Law. When the Rule of Law comes under attack so do the rights and freedoms of every individual in that society. The Rule of Law is under attack in Haldimand County and the powers that be, that have been entrusted to ensure the operation of the Rule of Law and to protect the rights and freedoms of the residents of Canada, are either refusing or neglecting to act. 

 If this all seems a little bit dramatic, then we ask the reader to consider what their reaction would be if protestors or individuals, whether Native or of other origin, attended at your residence and summarily evicted you from your property without any legal right to do so and those responsible for enforcing the law refused to take any action to assist. This is what has happened and is happening in Caledonia right now. Perhaps if the Ontario Provincial Police and the provincial government had carried out their obligations in a diligent fashion and observed their responsibility to enforce the law, the recent violence which has taken place in Caledonia could have been avoided.

 The Haldimand Law Association, in the interests of the administration of justice in Haldimand County and all parts of the Province, calls upon the Ontario Provincial Police and those other individuals and authorities with the power and duty to enforce and protect the operation of the Rule of Law in this Country to take action to do so. For as long as they refuse, they fail us all and all of our rights and freedoms remain under attack.