Caledonia cheques expected by March

CHINTA PUXLEY
Canadian Press
Dec 20, 2006

Compensation cheques will be mailed out in the next few months to residents who have suffered while living with the Six Nations occupation in Caledonia, Ontario's minister responsible for aboriginal affairs said yesterday.

David Ramsay said he knows homeowners in the Southwestern Ontario town are "anxious" to receive the cash they were promised back in June.

The holdup now is determining whether homeowners will be compensated for "inconvenience" and emotional suffering, or whether the package will be based on extra expenses incurred during the 10-month occupation, he said.

"I'd like to see it sooner rather than later," said Mr. Ramsay, adding the package should be finalized before March. "People are anxious now. We've obviously raised expectations because we have talked about it. We want to get this finished up as soon as possible."

The province has been consulting homeowners about what should be in a compensation package, he said. The government also must determine how much money will be set aside and who will be eligible, he said. "We will make sure we get it right."

Mr. Ramsay promised compensation to homeowners in June and refused at the time to rule out even purchasing some of the homes that border the disputed land. The occupation has since cost Ontario almost $40-million to compensate businesses, purchase the disputed land and pay for a negotiator.

Marie Trainer, the mayor for Haldimand County, where Caledonia is located, said residents have almost given up on getting any help from the province. Since the occupation began, homeowners near the disputed land have had to shell out money for medication and security systems, and move out of their homes when the roads were barricaded, she said.

Many have also suffered psychologically, she said, and should get some recognition of that.

"It is [needed] just to show that somebody cares," Ms. Trainer said. "Right now, they feel like they've been abandoned."

While she said residents would welcome compensation, she added it would only be meaningful if the province sets aside at least $2-million -- the amount doled out to compensate local businesses and the county for lost revenue.

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory wouldn't say how much compensation he would support for the homeowners. But he said the Liberals shouldn't need more time to mail the cheques.

Six Nations protesters have occupied the former housing development site since February and say they won't leave until the land is returned to them. The occupation has turned violent at times, with clashes between residents and protesters. The two sides have often been kept apart by provincial police, and both have agreed to a "no-go zone" around the occupied land.