ANTHONY REINHART
Global & Mail
Most Ontarians want the federal government to take over negotiations in the native land dispute at
The poll, obtained by The Globe and Mail in advance of its release today, says eight out of 10 Ontarians think
A majority of respondents, 58 per cent, also wanted a deadline on negotiations, after which the protesters should be removed.
The results are welcome news to OPP officers charged with policing what their union leader calls an "impossible" situation that has led to several confrontations -- some of them violent -- since the protest began on Feb. 28 on a subdivision site under construction.
A judge ordered the native protesters off the land in March, and on April 20, the OPP moved in to clear the site. But, hours later, hundreds more demonstrators returned and set up barricades, forcing police to retreat and tempers to rise among non-aboriginals in
Officers then faced several rallies by town residents, including one on May 22 in which some exchanged punches and slurs with the demonstrators. Further clashes followed in June and August, and fears of more violence arose last weekend when a
In the meantime, the province bought the disputed land from the developers in June, and has been meeting with Six Nations and federal officials to discuss the natives' claim that the land was taken from them illegally by the Crown.
But as long as the protesters remain, the OPP face the possibility of further flare-ups, along with the wrath of town residents who see them as ineffectual.
"We agree with Ontarians; it's time for both the federal government and the federal police force to assume their responsibilities in
"We commissioned this poll because our members are being asked to do the impossible, and they've been doing it since this standoff began in late February. They cannot and should not be negotiating and policing at the same time."
Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, who has visited the town several times, said he listened as residents heaped scorn on OPP officers for inaction, not realizing individual officers have no authority to end the protest.
"They're despondent, I think, about the fact that they believe it has really tarnished their reputation as a group of people that are sworn to and are diligent in seeing that peace, order and good government are maintained," Mr. Tory said.
He has called for an inquiry "at the appropriate time" to establish that front-line officers did not decide on their own on how to handle the protest, and to identify who, within the government and the OPP, made those decisions.
In the meantime, Mr. Tory said the solution is to bring an end to the protest while continuing to deal with the land claim.
"The best tonic for the morale of the citizenry of
The telephone survey of 601
The poll's release comes amid high-level changes at the OPP. On Oct. 30, Julian Fantino, the former
When Mr. Fantino's appointment was announced last week, Mr. Walsh lauded it as a positive step toward improved police leadership at
But Mr. Fantino has offered few hints of how he will approach the high-priority case.
He will not comment further on
Ontarians on
Results of an Ontario Provincial Police Association poll:
Do you think the federal government should be the one negotiating with the First Nations?
Agree: 80%
Disagree: 13%
Don't know: 7%
Do you think the RCMP should be asked to take part in policing
Yes: 67%
No: 23%
Don't know: 10%
SOURCE: POLLARA