Compensation for homeowners near aboriginal land occupation an insult, critics say

KEITH LESLIEMon Mar 19, 6:01 PM ET

TORONTO (CP) - The compensation offered Monday to Ontario homeowners living near a contentious aboriginal occupation is an insult that fails to address their emotional and psychological suffering, say critics of the provincial scheme.

Still, the Ontario government defended the $430,000 in compensation to 135 households in Caledonia, Ont., south of Hamilton - an offer ranging from $6,000 each for 20 homes directly bordering the contested land to $2,000 for their neighbours across the street.

"I think it's good compensation for the hardships that the homeowners went through," said David Ramsay, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs.

"We're not asking for any receipts. We understand there was inconvenience and we've compensated what we think is fair."

Christine Neill, a Caledonia resident who runs a Home 'N Hearth store, said she expected that homeowners would be offered a lot more, especially after the government promised last June to help them financially.

"The best they can come up with was $6,000?" Neill asked.

"Just the amount of emotional (suffering), the value of their homes - it's just everything that people have been through here. That is almost like spitting into their face, to be perfectly honest."

Six Nations protesters have occupied the site, a former housing development, since February 2006 and say they won't leave until the land is returned to them.

Provincial police have been called upon on numerous occasions to keep the peace amid often violent clashes between the occupiers and non-aboriginals protesting the occupation.

Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer called the offer "disappointing" and said she had hoped for at least $1.5 million to help homeowners pay for everything from vandalism to their homes to installing new security systems.

"It didn't even come close," Trainer said in an interview. "They had told us the amount was going to be somewhat larger, and they had hoped that it would be matched by the federal government. Neither happened."

Trainer said she could only hope that the province would come up with a second round of assistance.

While Ontario's opposition parties blasted the Liberal government for what they said was a small amount of compensation, neither party raised the issue Monday during the first Question Period of the spring session of the legislature.

"I think it's pathetic," Conservative Leader John Tory said outside the legislature.

"It nowhere comes close to recognizing the diminished property values these people have seen. It nowhere comes close to recognizing...the suffering they've gone through, the disruption to their lives."

NDP leader Howard Hampton said what most people want in Caledonia want it an end to the aboriginal occupation.

"This kind of woefully inadequate compensation just increases the pain and increases the anxiety that people are facing," said Hampton.

"This is not leading to a solution. This is like rubbing salt in the wound."

The occupation has cost Ontario more than $46 million to compensate Caledonia businesses, purchase the disputed land and pay for policing the standoff, which alone cost over $22 million so far.

Talks between the federal and Ontario governments and the Six Nations aimed at ending the standoff are scheduled to resume Wednesday after breaking off earlier this month.