Deirdre Healey
Hamilton Spectator
May 2, 2006
Caledonia is receiving $100,000 in provincial compensation to boost local businesses hurt by the native occupation and to help inform residents of ongoing negotiations.
Haldimand County council was told of the funding yesterday after meeting with Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade officials Friday.
The funding comes as developers of Douglas Creek Estates, the site occupied by Six Nations protesters, have accepted financial help from the province.
The county is directing $50,000 in funding to promoting businesses in the small community and encouraging people to return to Caledonia to shop, Mayor Marie Trainer said.
"We have to get people back in," she said. "Every business has been hurt by this."
The county will hire a marketing consultant to work with the local Chamber of Commerce in building business back up, said deputy mayor Tom Patterson.
Christine Neill owns Home 'N' Hearth Flowers and Gifts and says she has lost as much as 80 per cent of her business since the blockade began April 20.
Located downtown, Neill relies on tourists and visitors from out of town and the drop in business has forced her to lay off an employee and cut store hours.
"Lots of cars drive through, but people are afraid to stop," she said. "There is a misconception out there that it is dangerous in Caledonia."
While Neill and many local business owners say they appreciate the province's efforts, they argue money isn't the answer.
Jerry Wineguard, owner of a Ford Lincoln dealership and auto repair shop on Argyle Street, said the funding is just a short-term solution that will have little impact on local businesses.
"Don't give us money, just do whatever it takes to make this end," said Wineguard, who says he's lost almost half his business. "The sooner this is over, the sooner we can repair everything."
The other provincial dollars will go to hiring a consultant to handle communications, Trainer said. The aim is to improve communication with the residents and help curb current frustration.
"Communication is very important because the public wants to know what is going on," she said.
The $100,000 is just a portion of the costs incurred so far by the community. Trainer said there are costs involved in road signage and bulking up fire and ambulance services in the event of an emergency at the occupation site. There will also be costs afterwards, including road repairs from the detours and the clean-up of the development site and road blockade.
Patterson said the county is keeping track of costs incurred because of the occupation and "hopefully the money will be recovered by the province."
Funding to developers John and Don Henning is also interim financial assistance from the province, but the brothers have refused to release the amount of public money they are receiving.
A spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsay said the brothers have asked the offer be kept confidential.
All the Hennings will say is they've invested $6 million and "the amount that has been offered in no way represents the losses we have incurred as a result of the occupation."
Calls to Don Henning were not returned yesterday.
The brothers, who own Henco Industries, were offered a deal by the province Thursday. In a release yesterday they said they had accepted the assistance, stating: "our immediate financial position leaves us no other choice, but to accept the offer. We do expect we will need to continue to meet with provincial representatives in the future to review in more detail the impact of the occupation to date, as well as its ongoing financial impact on our company."
There are about a half dozen unfinished homes on the site.
The Hennings stated in the release their goal is to continue to finish the 600 homes planned for the Highway 6 subdivision.
dhealey@thespec.com
905-526-3468