Homeowners affected by the standoff at Douglas Creek Estates got a ray of hope from Queen's Park yesterday. But they shouldn't expect anything until the new year.
Dave Ramsay, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, told reporters the compensation cheques will be in the mail within the next few months.
But he provided no details about how many people would benefit, what homeowners would be compensated for or how much they would get.
It's essentially the same promise the province made to homeowners in June when money was being doled out to local businesses tha suffered as a result of the protracted dispute.
Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer greeted Ramsay's commitment as a positive development, but was disappointed he wasn't playing Santa Claus.
"I was hoping it would happen before Christmas," she said yesterday.
She said residents were starting to believe they'd been forgotten by the province, which has already forked out a total of about $40 million to buy out the owners of the disputed land, to pay for a provincial negotiator and help local merchants.
Trainer said residents should be compensated for pain and suffering because they've been emotionally traumatized as well as financially hurt by the dispute.
She said some residents have been taking tranquilizers and will never get over the emotional harm they've suffered. Children have been traumatized, too, she added.
She estimated that about 100 residents whose homes abut Douglas Creek Estates were adversely affected and should also be compensated for any losses they might have incurred in property values.
Asked how much the property owners should get, she pointed out the province had shelled out about $2 million in compensation to local businesses. She believes homeowners are entitled to at least that much.
"If you give them $500, that would be like slapping them in the face," she told Canadian Press. "That's an insult."
Trainer said the province told her this week it was establishing a committee to decide how compensation would be distributed to the homeowners.
The committee will have local as well as provincial officials, including the mayor herself.
During the 10-month occupation, there have been numerous confrontations between homeowners and native occupiers. Residents have complained of harassment, vandalism and noise from all-terrain vehicles patrolling the 40-hectare tract. They also claim their property values have suffered.
The latest incident occurred on the weekend when a couple reported their house on Argyle Street South was vandalized while they were away at a Christmas function.
A native spokesperson denied responsibility for the break-in.
Native activists stopped construction of the former subdivision site on Feb. 28 and raised a banner proclaiming "Six Nations Land."
They claim it was stolen from them more than 150 years ago.