Haldimand County Council wants off the Ottawa to Cayuga carousel.

Council said Monday that it keeps sending letters out describing the situation facing the county and getting perfunctory, non-responsive letters back.

"We're fed up. We've had enough," Councillor Lorne Boyko said.

Councillor Craig Grice was particularly upset by a letter from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada that said: "I would like to assure you that the Government of Canada remains committed to working with the Haudenosaunee/Six Nations and the Province of Ontario to develop a settlement that will balance the needs and interests of all parties, including Haldimand County."

"I don't believe him," Grice said.

"I have yet to see one thing to convince me they have the interest of Haldimand County in mind."

When the county sends a letter to the federal government raising the concerns of the residents of Haldimand County we get one back saying that they're working with Six Nations. Haldimand County and the Six Nations are not the same thing, he pointed out and Haldimand County and its residents have concerns that are not being addressed, he said.

Council then turned its attention to a letter from Lawrence Cannon, minister of transport, infrastructure and communities related to the Dunnville watermain project.

The announcement of $1.27 million from the federal government towards the project came in February.

In his letter Cannon said that the federal government required a business case for the project as well as other requirements - including provincial participation - to qualify for funding.

County CAO Don Boyle said the watermain project was something the federal government "dusted off from an earlier application." In addition there is no provincial funding for the project at this time.

County staff and county council were surprised back in February by the announcement because the watermain project had been turned down a couple of times for federal funding and it was no longer on the county's priority list.

Councillor Lorne Boyko said that when local MP Diane Finley made the announcement the impression was that it was a done deal, that the money was in the mail and only a few routine papers had to be filled out.

Council has since learned that the project was far from approved and the announcement had strings attached.

Mayor Marie Trainer said that when the announcement was made in February there were no strings. The strings got attached later. She said that this is the first time in her 14 years as mayor of the Town of Haldimand and Haldimand County that a ceremonial cheque presentation hasn't been quickly followed by the arrival of a real cheque.

Council is very tired of officials and politicians in Ottawa passing the buck from one office to another, she said.

Councillor Craig Grice said Finley got her photo op with a big ceremonial cheque and since then all there has been is a string of letters advising the county of what it must do and what Ottawa can't do.

"This is getting ridiculous," he said.

Councillor Don Ricker said: "It's a runaround. We can't get a straight answer from anyone."

He said that Haldimand can't get anything from Ottawa and from our own minister and MP. "We can't get help; we can't get support; we can't get call backs," he said.

Councillor Buck Sloat said it is becoming clear that the federal government wants nothing to do with Haldimand County.

"We're really getting to the heart of the matter. They don't want to deal with Haldimand County. But they are willing to give us a $1.2 million rubber cheque."

A letter from federal Health Minister Tony Clement was received with almost total disbelief.

In March, council had written Clement concerning signs promoting tobacco products and other tobacco related activities along county highways.

In a mid-June letter Clement said he has asked officials to investigate the signs, but not the other activities.

"This is a joke," Grice said.

It is absolutely clear the federal government has no intention of dealing with the tobacco shack problem, he said.