Keeping the peace in Caledonia need not mean lawlessness: Fantino

GREGORY BONNELL Mon Oct 30, 5:54 PM ET
Canadian Press

ORILLIA, Ont. (CP) - Preserving the peace at a contentious aboriginal occupation that's entering its ninth month will remain a top priority, but that doesn't mean the province's scofflaws will go unpunished, Ontario's highest-ranking police officer said Monday.

Following his first public address as commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, Julian Fantino faced a barrage of questions concerning an ongoing occupation in the southern Ontario town of Caledonia that has descended into violent confrontation more than once.

"Our role will be to preserve the peace and that's what we're going to stay focused on," Fantino said when asked how he plans to respond to the conflict.

"My hope will be that everyone will preserve the peace and be very mindful of making sure we don't break the laws of the land. I assure you, those who do will be dealt with."

The provincial police force has come under intense scrutiny and criticism over how it has handled the occupation, which began quietly in late February when protesters from the neighbouring Six Nations reserve took over the site of an ongoing housing development.

Police, armed with a court injunction, touched off an explosive chain of events in April when they raided the site, only to be pushed back by a flood of additional protesters from the reserve who quickly barricaded the town's main road and railway lines.

In June, the alleged assault by aboriginal protesters of a television cameraman and an elderly couple was met by allegations from local residents that police stood idly by, refusing to act.

On Monday, Fantino made it clear that lawlessness would not be tolerated, but that his No. 1 priority would be keeping the peace while other "entities" resolved the larger issue of the land claim.

"These issues are greater than what the police can ultimately resolve, we know that," Fantino said.

"However, the police have a fundamental duty and responsibility to preserve the peace. I think to the extent that I know today, those efforts (by officers in Caledonia) have been stellar."

Although it took several months following the alleged attacks on the television cameraman and the couple, police have laid charges of assault and theft against several people.

"The police job in the province of Ontario is to keep the peace," said David Ramsay, the Ontario minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, when asked about Fantino's remarks.

"They have and will continue to do that. Our job in government is to solve problems, and we're working on that."

To that end, Ramsay said he'll meet Tuesday with his federal counterpart Jim Prentice to stress the need for Ottawa to take the lead in the ongoing negotiations between the province, the federal government and Six Nations.

"We think that's what (Ottawa's) proper role and responsibility is," Ramsay said. Ontario will also present a statement "of our costs to date," he added.

"We want to enter into a discussion with them to make sure the federal government pay their fare share of the expenditures that we have endured over this dispute... they do have prime responsibility for settling land claims."

The Six Nations claims the contested land was taken from them more than two centuries ago. The protesters say Six Nations agreed to lease the property for a road in 1835 and dispute arguments that it was later sold to the Crown.