Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
CAYUGA (Feb 14, 2008)
A plan is being promoted to have the Ontario Provincial Police and Six Nations police do joint patrols of a rural concession caught in the middle of the Caledonia land claims dispute.
The OPP have not been welcomed by aboriginals on the Sixth Line, which runs south of Douglas Creek Estates, since the OPP raided the site two years ago in an effort to end the aboriginal occupation.
The problem is that there are about half a dozen people who live on the road in what is Haldimand County and they've been upset at the loss of OPP service.
In one incident, an OPP cruiser drove down Sixth Line by accident, after the OPP told aboriginals it would stay off the road. It was surrounded by angry natives and the officers had to be rescued by Six Nations police. Six Nations police have been tagged to respond to calls on the Sixth Line.
The talk of joint patrols to resolve policing concerns on the concession came out last night at a public meeting hosted by federal liaison David Crombie. More than 70 people attended the meeting at the county hall to hear updates on talks to resolve the occupation.
Haldimand CAO Don Boyle also made a presentation on the county's recovery plan, in which it is seeking $56 million from Ottawa and Queen's Park for various projects to offset the financial impact of the land claims dispute.
Natives say Douglas Creek Estates is on land Six Nations never surrendered, but Ottawa says it was surrendered in 1844.
Crombie said the OPP and Six Nations police are supportive of doing joint patrols on Sixth Line, but the idea has stalled in Ottawa and Queen's Park. "That discussion goes on. I'm trying to see if I can get the governments to agree with the two police forces."
Some at the meeting told Crombie they are still upset the occupation is continuing and see it as a breakdown of law and order.
In other developments:
* Provincial negotiator Chris Maher said Ottawa will ask next week at a meeting for a time-frame from Six Nations for it to respond to a $26-million offer to resolve flooding of Six Nations land in 1829 to build the Welland Canal. He said the offer is based on what the flooded land would be worth today.
* Maher said Ontario has asked Six Nations to halt protests at developments in Brant and Brantford while talks are ongoing. "Hopefully, we've seen the last of these."
* Haldimand saw about 75 houses built last year, compared with a usual average of 200.
* The county would like to see an interpretative centre built on Douglas Creek Estates.