A housing development that would have added about 8,000 people to Caledonia has been scuttled because of fears brought on by the 10-month native occupation of another housing site.
Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer says the occupation has had a profound impact on the growth of the town of 10,000, once touted as the fastest growing town in Ontario.
Oakville-based Mattamy Homes was looking at buying more than 200 hectares of property for 2,500 homes on Unity Road in north Caledonia, but Trainer says it abandoned the project because the land is the subject of a possible land claim and it did not want to get involved in a dispute with natives.
The mayor also said that natives threatened to "make problems there" for the company, which has built 25,000 homes in 76 communities such as Burlington, Milton and Stoney Creek.
"The (occupation) has put a freeze on development big time, across all of Haldimand," the mayor said, noting Six Nations claims 9.6 kilometres on each side of the Grand River because of the 1784 Haldimand Proclamation. Unity Road is within the proclamation lands, which the British Crown granted Six Nations for help during the American War of Independence.
"We don't get much interest from developers because they're saying, 'Why bother wasting their time here when they can go places where they're welcome?' They don't have to fight so many battles."
Realtor Bruce MacDonald, who was negotiating the deal, confirmed Mattamy dropped its options for Unity Road last year, but said it was not just because of the native occupation of Douglas Creek Estates, which was proposed to have 600 homes and add 2,000 people to Caledonia.
"It's not all because of the standoff. It's several factors."
Mattamy spokesperson Beth Shropshire said, "Mattamy does not wish to comment and has no comment."
The mayor doesn't blame Mattamy for pulling out several months ago. Natives occupied Douglas Creek Estates, claiming it was land Six Nations never surrendered.
Ottawa maintains the site was surrendered in the 1840s.
"I was disappointed, but I can't blame them. It's hurting us, but if the shoe was on the other foot, I'm with them."
She's hoping Ottawa and Queen's Park can get the town back to normal via negotiations with Six Nations.