February 27, 2008
By Chinta Puxley
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO _ Ontario has no intention of stepping in and stopping Six Nations from charging development fees on disputed land near the Grand River, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Bryant said Wednesday as calls grew for the governing Liberals to put an end to what some are calling extortion.
A Six Nations development institute has started demanding fees of developers who want to build around disputed land near the Grand River while protesters continue to occupy a former housing development site in the southwestern town of Caledonia.
Developers who have received letters demanding payment from the institute say the province is hanging them out to dry by refusing to intervene or guarantee their safety.
But Bryant said it's up to the police _ not the province _ to intervene and press charges on the eve of the occupation's two-year anniversary.
``My experience with developers ... is they didn't just fall off the turnip truck,'' Bryant said. ``They know very well what the rules are and the laws are. The only fees that need to be paid are paid to municipalities. That is the law.''
Any developer who is uncertain about the law is welcome to call his office, Bryant added. In the meantime, Bryant said he's working to speed up negotiations aimed at ending the continuing occupation.
``(Progress) is happening too slowly right now from the perspective of residents, from the perspective of Haudenosaunee Six Nations and from my perspective as well,'' he said.
But people living in the community say the province is abdicating its responsibility to residents and developers by letting the situation fester.
Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer said development in the area has all but ground to a halt since the occupation began two years ago Thursday. Businesses are hurting and banks are reluctant to continue backing development projects, she said.
Some developers have been coerced into paying the fees demanded by Six Nations while others are feeling helpless, she said. The province has an obligation to step in, Trainer said.
``Developers are just the meat in the sandwich again,'' she said.
``To say that developers are all on their own is just not fair. They should have a guarantee that they are protected.''
Local builder Sam Gualtieri was badly beaten last September at a home he was building for his daughter. Gualtieri _ who was allegedly attacked with a club _ suffered facial injuries, a broken shoulder blade and two skull fractures.
Progressive Conservative Peter Shurman said the province is standing by and allowing people to get away with extortion and lawlessness.
``There hasn't been one law for all Ontarians in the two years of Caledonia,'' he said. ``It's time that the government of Ontario got serious about this. This is illegal and it would not happen anywhere else.''