Haldimand mayor urges activist not to march in Caledonia

Brantford Expositor
Dec 14, 2006

The mayor of Haldimand County is pleading with a Richmond Hill man to cancel a planned flag-waving march near the site of an aboriginal land dispute.

Marie Trainer is asking Gary McHale, who organized a contentious rally in this town southwest of Hamilton in October, to forgo the new march because it could lead to trouble.

A similar march held Dec. 2, ostensibly to salute Canada's military, was attended by about 30 people.

Provincial police stopped the group from flying flags near Douglas Creek Estates, which has been occupied by Six Nations since February, and arrested one man.

"I haven't heard anyone who is for it," Trainer said. "Caledonia people don't really want him in their business. They'd like him to stay home."

Saturday's march is proposed to begin at 11:30 a.m.

Participants will try to plant flags across the street from Douglas Creek Estates.

Police are "hoping nobody shows up, but they'll play everything by ear," Trainer said Wednesday.

McHale said he's not advocating trouble. He said he wants to demonstrate his belief aboriginals are being treated differently by police than non-natives. "It's not illegal to put up a Canadian flag," McHale said.

court ruling awaited

Negotiations were scheduled to resume today between Ottawa, Ontario and the Six Nations Confederacy to try and resolve the 10-month occupation of the one-time housing project.

Talks have not been held since Nov. 14 after both sides staked out their positions, with Ottawa saying Six Nations surrendered the site in the 1840s and Six Nations saying they were duped.

The Ontario Court of Appeal was expected to release its ruling today on Justice David Marshall's August order to halt negotiations.

The province bought the site and partly argues that changed his order.

The appeal court heard arguments in September.