Critics slam 'woefully inadequate' offer to Caledonia homeowners

KEITH LESLIE

Canadian Press
March 20, 2007
Posted Globe & Mail

TORONTO -- The compensation offered yesterday 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, south of Hamilton -- an offer ranging from $6,000 for those 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, the 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?" Ms. 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 of 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 against the occupation.

While Ontario's opposition parties blasted away at the Liberal government for what they said was a small amount of compensation, neither party raised the issue yesterday during the first Question Period of the spring session of the Ontario 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 is an end to the aboriginal occupation.

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

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

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," Ms. 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."

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

That's the same amount the government doled out to compensate local businesses and the county for lost revenue because of the occupation.

Ms. Trainer has also said residents should be compensated for the psychological damage she said many have suffered.

The government made no mention of compensation for psychological suffering.

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 more than $22-million so far.

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