Rocks fly as Caledonia tensions boil

KAREN BEST
August 09, 2006
The Chronicle

Three people were injured when rocks and golf balls flew through the air over the boundary of a caledonia subdivision occupied by Six Nations protesters.

caledonia residents reported water bottles and then rocks were flying around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6.

A rock struck a caledonia resident in the head during the confrontation on Braemar Avenue. According to a Haldimand County OPP report, a native protester and a police officer were also hit. Injuries were not serious.

Town residents said natives used lacrosse sticks to lob palm sized rocks into backyards of several homes. A couple of caledonia residents fired back golf balls after waiting over 40 minutes for additional officers to show up on the street. By 12:30 a.m., about 25 officers were on the scene.

Over 20 rocks were hurled at the home of a Second World War veteran. No longer counting on police for protection, neighbours stood watch over his backyard all night and refused to leave when OPP asked them.

On Feb. 28, Six Nations residents began to occupy the 200 acre subdivision which was part of the 1784 Haldimand Grant.

They contended the land was never to be sold but, in a 1995 statement of defence filed with the Ontario Court of Justice, the Ontario and Canadian governments stated that the land was sold for construction of a road between Hamilton and Port Dover.

The nighttime incident culminated a day of tension on the Civic Holiday Monday.

Earlier in the day, someone posted signs pointing the way to the Douglas Creek terrorist camp, alluding to the native occupation.

This might have angered natives, said a couple of caledonia residents. Like others, they declined to identify themselves due to fear of reprisals. Some people who have spoken to media have had property damaged or received threatening phone calls.

In the afternoon, natives cut the leaf out of a Canadian flag and then burned it, reported some residents. After dusk, a couple of vehicles and ATVs lined up behind homes.

Then rocks began to fly, said people who live in the area.

This is death by a thousand cuts, said a man, frustrated with lack of police action.

If this keeps going, residents will walk through the OPP line, he said. People are stressed beyond what they can cope with, said a woman.

Another wept as she said people are scared and others can't even imagine what they are going through. "It breaks my heart that I moved to caledonia," she said.

After receiving a call, Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer arrived after midnight to speak to residents.

Some wanted her to ask Ontario Superior Court of Justice Judge David Marshall to issue a writ of mandamus. This legal instrument would be an order requiring OPP to act upon warrants issued by the court for contempt of an injunction requiring protesters to leave the subdivision.

Marshall, who has held several hearings to seek a return to the rule of law, was expected to release a ruling on Tuesday at 11 a.m.