Construction vehicles blocked in Caledonia

UNNATI GANDHI

May 19, 2007
Globe & Mail

Tensions were high yesterday afternoon as about a dozen native protesters blocked construction vehicles from leaving or entering the driveway of a Caledonia church.

Then, when an unknowing truck driver proceeded to deliver his load of stone onto the contested site, the conflict escalated.

"It was a lot of cursing and swearing at first, directed at us," Rev. W. Blake Eady, pastor of Caledonia Baptist Church, said. "That definitely raised the temperature of the situation."

The 13 protesters didn't set up barricades when they first arrived at about 11:30 a.m., but at one point made a human barricade preventing the construction vehicles from entering or leaving with any of the land's soil.

Mr. Eady said the construction was to expand the parking lot slightly and to improve drainage by putting in a culvert. There had already been some work done at the site, but the parking lot had come up in land-claim negotiations with Six Nations' representatives about a year ago.

"It's been on and off, and at this stage, we'll be going back to the negotiating table next week before we start up again," he said.

Yesterday, the contractors and the natives were still negotiating to allow the remaining vehicles to leave for the weekend.

At the nearby Notre Dame Elementary School, pupils were kept inside during the noon hour as a precautionary measure.

Earlier, the school's morning outdoor recess was cut short by police.

Ontario Provincial Police officers were on hand at the church, but spokesman Constable Doug Graham said the dispute was minor.

"The occupiers had agreed to let the contractors do the paving. But when they started working on the drainage, they said it wasn't part of the negotiation. So it was a minor disagreement."

The church has had a good relationship with the native protesters.

"We've had events here at the church that have been open to both communities," Mr. Eady said.