Ontario may bring in mediator to settle Caledonia dispute
Last Updated: Thursday, May 3, 2007 | 8:57 AM ET
CBC News
The Ontario government has agreed to consider bringing in a mediator to help resolve an ongoing aboriginal occupation after a group of Caledonia residents frustrated with the pace of negotiations rallied at Queen's Park Wednesday.
David Ramsay, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, met with the group and said he will consider doing whatever possible to speed up negotiations to end the occupation on a former housing development southwest of Hamilton, Ont.
Bringing a mediator to talks will be considered, as will further compensation for townspeople and businesses, Ramsay said.
But he warned there can't be a deadline for when the occupation will end.
"One cannot predict the outcome of this type of very complex negotiation," said Ramsay after meeting with four members of the group and Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer.
Ramsay's promises, however, fell short of what the group was hoping for after they drove in a slow-moving convoy from their community to Toronto and rallied on the front lawn of Queen's Park.
Some residents were calling for both levels of government and aboriginal representatives to begin negotiating full-time.
Residents have said said they are tired with the ongoing occupation and tension it causes in their community.
Aboriginal protesters have occupied the 40-hectare former housing development for the past 14 months, claiming the property belongs to them.
The tract of land was purchased last summer by the government of Ontario.
With files from the Canadian PressShare Tools
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