By JOHN MINER, FREE PRESS REPORTER
Stephen Gibbs is worried he won't get the chance to retrieve his brother's ashes from the fireplace mantel in his family's cottage.
"It is just unbelievable," the
The Gibbs family and about 60 other families with cottages on Hope Bay, along Cape Croker on the Bruce Peninsula, are caught in Ontario's latest native land dispute.
They've been told by the federal government they have until Jan. 31 to get all their possessions out of their cottages because the Chippewas of Nawash will be moving in.
And if they like, they can hire a lawyer, a federal bureaucrat has told them.
But this native flashpoint is unlike others in
While many feature heated arguments over who owns the land, in this case there's no question, said Bill Murdoch, the Conservative MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, in whose riding the land is located.
"It isn't like
The Gibbs family built their cottage in the 1960s and made their lease payments to the federal government.
The lease was renewed several times, but all of the cottage leases expired in 1995 and nothing was negotiated until earlier this year. But that lease only ran until the end of October.
Even when there was no lease in place, the family kept making regular payments, Gibbs said.
Gibbs said he learned from his parents last week they'd received a letter from the federal Indian Affairs Department, telling them negotiations for a new lease had failed and they would have to retrieve their belongings, leaving behind any structures and fixtures.
"All of a sudden it is, 'Get your bags and get out, we are taking your cottages,' " he said.
Chippewas of Nawash Chief Paul Nadjiwan couldn't be reached for comment.
Gibbs and other cottagers said they've never had any difficulties with the natives.
"The fight is between the natives and Indian Affairs. It is not with us," said cottager Bev Cleveland of
One of the first to be built on the land lease from the natives, the Gibbs cottage is modest and would bring $65,000 to $85,000 if there wasn't a dispute, Gibbs said.
Now, it's worth nothing.
Others have much larger investments, including a neighbour who put a major addition on his cottage last season.
"There are some pretty impressive places up there and there is going to be some really upset people," Gibbs said.
When he contacted the federal civil servant in charge of the lease program, Gibbs said he was told there will be no compensation for the buildings.
To get their belongings out, he was told they needed to make an appointment with the native band.
The family had three trucks ready to go up on the weekend, but were told they couldn't come because the band was busy with other cottagers.
There are family mementos, including his brother's ashes, the family wants to get out before the deadline, he said.
Gibbs said he was told cottagers retrieving items will be escorted in and out by natives, who will videotape them removing any items.
Several cottagers told The Free Press there have been rumours some people would rather torch their buildings than turn them over to the natives for nothing.
Murdoch said the federal government needs to be involved.
"They are going to have to get in there and do something. These people aren't going to want to leave their cottages," he said.