Former federal cabinet minister David Crombie's new job as Ottawa's community liaison in a native land dispute is getting mixed reviews in Caledonia.
"I see it as smoke and mirrors," Ken Hewitt, of the Caledonia Citizens' Alliance, said yesterday. "It sounds great but we've had several individuals listen to the concerns of this community and, truthfully, where has it gotten us?"
Crombie was appointed Saturday by Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl to be a conduit between Caledonia residents and federal negotiators trying to hammer out a deal with Six Nations over land claims.
Tensions heated up there again last week when a local contractor was seriously injured during a confrontation with natives inside a home he was building.
Crombie follows several other high-profile former politicians in trying to defuse tensions, including former Ontario premier David Peterson and Jane Stewart and Barbara MacDougall, both former federal cabinet ministers.
In a statement, Strahl said Crombie will meet with interested third parties "to assist the negotiators in determining the best way to address any local issues or concerns of third parties."
But Hewitt believes Crombie's new job is little more than political cover for a federal government anxious to appease angry local citizens.
"What could he possibly bring back to the government that we haven't already voiced?" Hewitt said.
But Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer said Crombie, who called her early yesterday, is a good step forward, giving residents someone "to tell their pain to."
Trainer expects him to meet with Haldimand council next Monday.
Crombie has a strong working knowledge of native affairs, she said.
Earlier this month, Ottawa appointed Crombie a chief federal negotiator in land claim talks with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation to resolve compensation issues over the 1805 Toronto Purchase, which covered 1,015 square kilometres from Ashbridge's Bay to Etobicoke Creek in the south and 45 kilometres north at either end.
Crombie was elected to Parliament in 1978 and served as Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs during his 10-year career as a member of Parliament.
"At this point, we hope everything remains calm and he can settle in to work next Monday," Trainer said.