KAREN BEST
Dunnville Chronicle
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 05:00
Local News - Val Vanderwyk will not relent in her campaign to ensure First Nations land claim resolution is addressed in the campaign and by the party governing Ontario after the Oct. 10 election.
On Aug. 29, she went on the road for her first train whistle stop. In front of a stylish restaurant in Waterford, she and Mike Manning, both from Caledonia, displayed a sign challenging a government headed by Dalton McGuinty to act.
Created by Vanderwyk, the sign refers to the province's $2.8 billion surplus and an absence of committing any of it toward issues in Caledonia and Six Nations. Certainly some of that money can go toward helping the two communities with this issue, she said.
When Training, Colleges and Universities Minister Christopher Bentley arrived at the fundraising dinner for Haldimand-Norfolk Liberal candidate Lorraine Bergstrand, Vanderwyk explained.
"It's a political fundraiser. It's a political question and it deserves an answer," she said recalling her comments. Bentley jotted down their names and what he heard.
Before he joined other Liberal supporters, Vanderwyk made it clear that she was not targeting Bergstrand. By making interchangeable name plates for "Mr. Tory" and "Mr. Hampton" to velcro over "Mr. McGuinty", she will use the same sign to present the same message to all party leaders and candidates. "This is an equal opportunity political education," she said. "This needs to be an election issue."
Over the next six weeks, Vanderwyk will take the second version of the Duck and Run campaign on the road to other candidate political fundraisers, news conferences and wherever those individuals will be. "I will be bringing this forward to all parties. They need to address issues like this," she said.
Vanderwyk launched the first Duck and Run campaign earlier this year when she took an Unhappy Anniversary Card addressed to Premier Dalton McGuinty to several venues where he was attending meetings. Because he knew she wanted to speak to him but he did not, she dubbed her pursuit, the Duck and Run campaign.
Signed by 300, anniversary cards to McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper were created to recognize the one-year anniversary of Six Nations community members moving into the Douglas Creek Estates construction site in Caledonia.
A provincial wide issue, resolution of land claims is critical so counties like Haldimand which are highly involved are not standing on their own, she stated. "The Ontario and Canadian governments must quickly resolve them for everyone involved," she emphasized.
Later Bergstrand commended the pair for highlighting an issue that is a concern across the Haldimand-Norfolk riding. Land claims are a federal, constitutional issue and the federal government has to engage in and expedite the process, she added.