Caledonia residents in convoy take land claim frustration to Queen's Park
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 2, 2007 | 2:26 PM ET
CBC News
A group of Caledonia residents frustrated with an ongoing aboriginal land dispute descended on Queen's Park Wednesday morning in a convoy that slowed traffic as it wound its way into downtown Toronto.
About 100 residents arrived at the provincial legislature around 11 a.m. ET, two hours after embarking on the drive from their southern Ontario town.
Aboriginal protesters have occupied a 40-hectare former housing development southwest of Hamilton for the past 14 months, claiming the property belongs to them.
Residents caught up in the dispute say they are frustrated by the lack of progress and want Ottawa and Ontario to step up their negotiation efforts.
The group is calling on both levels of government to start negotiating on a full-time basis, using methods such as arbitration, mediation and even lock-down negotiations to resolve the dispute.
They also want both levels of government to help the Caledonia community "in a return to normalcy," said resident Dan Roberts.
"Premier McGuinty, you can run, you can duck, but you're not going to hide from Caledonia," Roberts said at a rally at Queen's Park.
Speaking to reporters at another Toronto event, Premier Dalton McGuinty repeated his assertion that only the federal government has the ability to resolve the Caledonia dispute.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsay had told residents Tuesday he would be unable to meet with them, but had a change of heart and agreed to meet later Wednesday afternoon.
The convoy began in Caledonia and continued down Highway 403 and the Queen Elizabeth Way before arriving at the provincial legislature.
The standoff at Caledonia has erupted several times over the past year with clashes between aboriginal protesters and Caledonia residents.
Early last August, a faceoff between about 100 people from both sides escalated from harsh words to hurling golf balls and rocks before police broke it up.
Last summer, the Ontario government purchased the tract of land from the developer, Henco Industries.
Negotiations between both levels of government and the aboriginal protesters have been ongoing, but sporadic.
