Vincent Ball
Brantford Expositor
Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 07:00
Local News - A local builder anxious to avoid a land dispute confrontation with the Six Nations Confederacy says a meeting on Saturday did nothing but foster more frustration and hard feelings. "I really don't know what I'm going to do," Mike Quattrociocchi, of Mayberry Homes, said Sunday. "I've had 24 hours to think about it but I really don't know and it's not completely up to me.
"I can't do all the work myself. I have contractors and suppliers and none of them want to get involved in any of this stuff."
Quattrociocchi recently began work on a rental housing project on Grand River Avenue at Jarvis Street.
He ordered a work stoppage on the project over a week ago after members of the Six Nations Confederacy visited the site and said it was subject to a land claim. They advised him to stop work.
Quattrociocchi complied with their request and had hoped to have the issue resolved during a meeting with the Confederacy. That didn't happen, a frustrated Quattrociocchi said.
He and other developers were told to stop work for a week and then someone would contact them. Quattrociocchi also said he was told to expect protesters at the site today.
"There was no opportunity for any real or meaningful dialogue," Quattrociocchi said in a statement sent to The Expositor. "We (developers) were lectured to and scolded as if we were little school children.
"We were accused of 'treating Six Nations people like third-class citizens,' we were told to 'show respect,' we were told to 'go to the Mayor and planning committee and tell them to hold off on all development..."'
Quattrociocchi said he and the other developers were also told that 'the days are long gone for developers to say they didn't know about land disputes.'"
But Quattrociocchi said he is aware of land claim disputes and has shown respect to the Confederacy.
He sent a letter to the Confederacy dated April 16, 2007 notifying them of his plans and offering to meet with the Confederacy Council to answer questions about his proposal.
In the letter, a copy of which was provided to The Expositor, Quattrociocchi said "I do not want to appear to be the typical developer who charges forward without any consultation or discussions with neighbours.
"As a former city councillor, I have witnessed time and again that it is in everyone's best interest to be as open and transparent as possible."
Quattrociocchi said he did his best to avoid problems before work started.
"I don't understand why this is happening," he said. "I've been playing by the rules and I'm a small developer.
"If my small eight-unit development has created such concern with some members of the Six Nations, then does this mean that all houses along the Grand River as well as the casino are owned by Six Nations?"