Comment

Is it really about the land and not the money?

By Bill Jackson – The Regional

July 30, 2008

When Ardoch Lake Algonquins protested the development of uranium mine near Ottawa, they did so partly because they felt an exploration company and the Canadian government did not properly consult with them regarding the use of First Nations land.

But they were also concerned about the "destruction of the land, the consequence of a uranium mine being built, and the health effects" that would be "devastating" according to one Robert Lovelace.

Environmental concerns have been voiced by native protesters in Haldimand County and the City of Brantford who have stopped commercial and residential developments. In addition to burial grounds, treaties, proclamations and individual claims, the preservation of trees, water and wildlife has been cited by protesters who claim their actions are about the land, not the money. They've also supported their brethren, both near and far, who feed us the same lines.

However on Monday, a native company leasing land in Hagersville decided to resume operations at a gravel pit that's been under a tremendous amount of scrutiny in recent years.

The owner, Gary Nichols has been stopped from operating the quarry by the Ministry of Natural Resources that claims he hasn't fulfilled pre-operating conditions for water testing.

Farmers in the area are concerned about the impact the quarry night have on their water supply. However Nichols claims he has fulfilled the conditions for his permit and that the MNR is preventing him from operating by using illegal means of enforcement.

The matter has been in the courts for years and no matter what side of the fence you're on in that debate, the only way Nichols can see himself getting around the issue is by allowing Indians to operate his quarry, while he benefits from some of the profits. It's all really about the bottom line and the province's two-tiered approach to law enforcement.

But as least this time Nichols is being up front about his own objectives. You can't say that about everyone in this dog's breakfast that is the economy in the Grand River watershed.

Because the land still belongs to Nichols, one might wonder why the lessee needed approval from the Haudenosaunee Development Institute to operate. You'd think that the fallacious duty to consult would be still up to the landowner.

The institute, which has charged non-native developers illegal fees to build on its sacred land seems to have no problem with the quarry operating and even goes so far to say that the lessee has the necessary provincial approvals to operate.

Remember, it's about the land, not the money.

Provincial approvals didn't seem to matter to protesters who have represented the HDI in the past, especially when they blocked a landfill site near Cayuga and prevented it from operating. The landfill has a valid certificate of approval.

There, the native argument was again about the land and the degradation such a dump would cause. It was the OPP who allowed natives to protest, sending dump trucks away from the site and not enforcing laws against natives who blocked Brooks Road.

So it will be interesting to see if the MNR decides to enforce regulations on those who plan to operate the quarry.

It also makes one wonder what we use gravel for in the first place?

"Aboriginal Imports is committed to provide a competitive source of aggregate to the Six Nations (and) New Credit Reserves as well s the general public," according to a company press release.

Then again, without any development going on we might not need that much of it.