Grand River land dispute

The Caledonia occupation began on February 28, 2006 to bring to attention to First Nation land claims in Ontario.

The protestors claim the 200-year-old (1784) claim over 380,000-hectare Haldimand Tract was granted to the Six Nations of the Grand River was never made official. The current land was purchased by Henco Industries, developer of Douglas Creek Estates. Six Nations re-introduced the claim in 1999.

The position of the government is that Natives relinquished their claim to the land in 1841 to build a highway.

The province has remained low-key and directed the need for the federal government to take action to resolve the federal matter.

On April 20, 2006 at 4.30 a.m., members of the Ontario Provincial Police arrested and removed 16 protesters occupying the housing development in Caledonia in contravention of a court order issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on March 3, 2006. The site was secured, however a short time later the site was re-occupied.

This conflict is often compared to the Ipperwash Crisis of 1995, where the provincial government of the time has been accused of intervening to encourage the OPP to force natives out of their occupation of Ipperwash Provincial Park, in which they killed protester Dudley George.

Caledonia, Ontario is located in Haldimand County, and is roughly 20 kilometres southwest of Hamilton.

Reference

• Gathering Place First Nations News
• Native protesters expect police will evict them, cbc.ca, March 23, 2006
• Mood calm at occupation Friday, The Globe and Mail, April 21, 2006