Where's Caledonia ? - Ontario Provincial Elections
Bodah @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:11 pm
$1:
[align=center]Jonathan Kay on the scandal of Caledonia[/align]
During the current provincial Ontario election campaign, we've heard quite a lot about religious schooling, taxes and Premier Dalton McGuinty's record in office. Yet none of the three major candidates are discussing what may be the most important issue facing the province: the ongoing, violent flouting of the rule of law by native protestors in and near the town of Caledonia. The fact that the province's police have consistently refused to take decisive action against the protestors since their illegal activity began in February, 2006 is a significant scandal, one that has sent the message that Mr. McGuinty's government is either unwilling or unable to maintain the basic rule of law.
The Caledonia land-dispute saga took a violent new twist last week, when natives from the Six Nations reserve used wooden beams to beat Sam Gualtieri, a construction contractor working 1 km away from the Douglas Creek Estates property, which native protestors have occupied for the last 18 months. Unlike the protestors, Mr. Gualtieri was doing nothing illegal. His only crime was renovating a house for his daughter and her fiancée. But native thugs have proclaimed that anyone working in the area must get their approval (i.e., pay protection money) first. As in all situations where a central authority refuses to apply the rule of law, mafia-like groups have rushed in to the vacuum and proclaimed themselves a law unto themselves.
Mr. Gualtieri's brother claims the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers on the site "stood there, and they did not intervene" while the beating took place. We don't know whether this is true. But it is certainly credible given the precedents over the last year and a half. Since the crisis began, Dalton McGuinty's government has been petrified of taking decisive action, lest the Toronto media compare his actions to those of Mike Harris' government during the Ipperwash Crisis of 1995. At numerous points during the Caledonia standoff, the OPP has been ordered to sit on their hands despite numerous provocations by native protestors.
From the beginning, the protestors crippled Caledonia's local economy, setting up blockades and igniting fires on the main road leading into the town - actions that have led to confrontations between natives and town residents. In one infamous case, two journalists were assaulted when they refused to hand over a tape of a fight involving protestors. On the same day, a group of law enforcement officers observing the crisis were hauled out of their car, which a protestor then rammed into one of the officers - a case of attempted homicide, prosecutors believe. The assailants then fled to the Six Nations reserve, which now has become a sort of sanctuary for criminals.
In terms of the land holdings at play, the Caledonia crisis is small compared to similar disputes in other parts of Canada. But this is beside the point. The bottom line is that a group of hooligans is openly flouting the government - and Mr. McGuinty has done nothing about it except attempt to shift blame onto Ottawa. Some Ontarians apparently are allowed to break the Trespass to Property Act and the Criminal Code whenever they please - simply because of the colour of their skin. It is an ongoing embarrassment to Mr. McGuinty's government, even if most of the media have grown tired of covering it.
The Premier, not surprisingly, isn't saying much about Caledonia during his campaign stops. As for Conservative opposition leader John Tory, he says that he would bring civil actions against rabble rousers in order to recoup the "huge public expense" incurred due to the constant police presence.
Civil actions? That sounds a lot like what the original property owner did in early 2006 when native protestors first squatted on the Douglas Creek Estates. He obtained an injunction ordering the protestors off the land. When the Sheriff delivered it, one of the protestors burned the document, an action that was broadcast on TV.
Moreover, what assets would authorities seize in enforcement of Mr. Tory's proposed civil actions? The fact that these protestors are able to spend their days manning barricades suggests they are not exactly high-earning professionals.
Ipperwash became infamous because of the death of protestor Dudley George, who was killed during a confrontation with the OPP. Yet in the long run, a hands-off approach can be just as dangerous. Consider that Sam Gualtieri, last week's beating victim, was rendered unconscious. Some people on the scene though he'd been killed. Even now, he is still undergoing tests to determine if he will regain all his brain functions. This man clearly came very close to becoming the Caledonia's crisis' first fatality.
More and more incidents of this type will occur if natives are led to believe that anything goes - that Mr. McGuinty, or whoever replaces him, will be content to wait indefinitely while natives turn the Caledonia area into a zone of violent, aboriginal lawlessness. If either the Premier or Mr. Tory want to demonstrate "leadership" - to cite a term that gets thrown around a lot at election time" - they might start by giving voters a clear and robust plan for cleaning up this scandalous situation.
During the current provincial Ontario election campaign, we've heard quite a lot about religious schooling, taxes and Premier Dalton McGuinty's record in office. Yet none of the three major candidates are discussing what may be the most important issue facing the province: the ongoing, violent flouting of the rule of law by native protestors in and near the town of Caledonia. The fact that the province's police have consistently refused to take decisive action against the protestors since their illegal activity began in February, 2006 is a significant scandal, one that has sent the message that Mr. McGuinty's government is either unwilling or unable to maintain the basic rule of law.
The Caledonia land-dispute saga took a violent new twist last week, when natives from the Six Nations reserve used wooden beams to beat Sam Gualtieri, a construction contractor working 1 km away from the Douglas Creek Estates property, which native protestors have occupied for the last 18 months. Unlike the protestors, Mr. Gualtieri was doing nothing illegal. His only crime was renovating a house for his daughter and her fiancée. But native thugs have proclaimed that anyone working in the area must get their approval (i.e., pay protection money) first. As in all situations where a central authority refuses to apply the rule of law, mafia-like groups have rushed in to the vacuum and proclaimed themselves a law unto themselves.
Mr. Gualtieri's brother claims the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers on the site "stood there, and they did not intervene" while the beating took place. We don't know whether this is true. But it is certainly credible given the precedents over the last year and a half. Since the crisis began, Dalton McGuinty's government has been petrified of taking decisive action, lest the Toronto media compare his actions to those of Mike Harris' government during the Ipperwash Crisis of 1995. At numerous points during the Caledonia standoff, the OPP has been ordered to sit on their hands despite numerous provocations by native protestors.
From the beginning, the protestors crippled Caledonia's local economy, setting up blockades and igniting fires on the main road leading into the town - actions that have led to confrontations between natives and town residents. In one infamous case, two journalists were assaulted when they refused to hand over a tape of a fight involving protestors. On the same day, a group of law enforcement officers observing the crisis were hauled out of their car, which a protestor then rammed into one of the officers - a case of attempted homicide, prosecutors believe. The assailants then fled to the Six Nations reserve, which now has become a sort of sanctuary for criminals.
In terms of the land holdings at play, the Caledonia crisis is small compared to similar disputes in other parts of Canada. But this is beside the point. The bottom line is that a group of hooligans is openly flouting the government - and Mr. McGuinty has done nothing about it except attempt to shift blame onto Ottawa. Some Ontarians apparently are allowed to break the Trespass to Property Act and the Criminal Code whenever they please - simply because of the colour of their skin. It is an ongoing embarrassment to Mr. McGuinty's government, even if most of the media have grown tired of covering it.
The Premier, not surprisingly, isn't saying much about Caledonia during his campaign stops. As for Conservative opposition leader John Tory, he says that he would bring civil actions against rabble rousers in order to recoup the "huge public expense" incurred due to the constant police presence.
Civil actions? That sounds a lot like what the original property owner did in early 2006 when native protestors first squatted on the Douglas Creek Estates. He obtained an injunction ordering the protestors off the land. When the Sheriff delivered it, one of the protestors burned the document, an action that was broadcast on TV.
Moreover, what assets would authorities seize in enforcement of Mr. Tory's proposed civil actions? The fact that these protestors are able to spend their days manning barricades suggests they are not exactly high-earning professionals.
Ipperwash became infamous because of the death of protestor Dudley George, who was killed during a confrontation with the OPP. Yet in the long run, a hands-off approach can be just as dangerous. Consider that Sam Gualtieri, last week's beating victim, was rendered unconscious. Some people on the scene though he'd been killed. Even now, he is still undergoing tests to determine if he will regain all his brain functions. This man clearly came very close to becoming the Caledonia's crisis' first fatality.
More and more incidents of this type will occur if natives are led to believe that anything goes - that Mr. McGuinty, or whoever replaces him, will be content to wait indefinitely while natives turn the Caledonia area into a zone of violent, aboriginal lawlessness. If either the Premier or Mr. Tory want to demonstrate "leadership" - to cite a term that gets thrown around a lot at election time" - they might start by giving voters a clear and robust plan for cleaning up this scandalous situation.
link
Racist pussy politicians ...
Canadian_Mind @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:57 pm
If the OPP and the politicians are to busy jacking off in a corner lest they shit themselves over the thought of doing something about this, I say the RCMP should roll in with military backing and remove the lawbreakers, if fighting breaks out, call in the troops.
saturn_656 @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:02 pm
I doubt the RCMP would do anything about it either, best send the CF in under aid to civil power provisions. Even a single company of reservists would be more than a match for these hooligans.
Canadian_Mind @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:33 pm
yea, give them some experiance, would be nice.
maybe deploy a squadron of leopards just for fun, they can smash up the road blocks once the protesters are gone! 
Bodah @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:52 pm
Its Ontario's responsiblity to solve this. Its not a federal issue unless McGuinty officially makes it so which he hasn't done yet. I.E. in Quebec with Oka, the QPP and the provincial government officially asked for help. Oh sure he says in the media it's a federal responsibility but he has never officially asked for help. He's tied the OPP's hands behind their back were they could and want to do something but cant. Orders from McGuinty. He has also created two sets of laws in Ontario.
One for white people and one for natives, that's racism.
Is this what the people of Ontario wants as a leader ? A person when it comes down to really tough decisions can't make them or is afraid of making them and rather try and pass the blame onto someone else = Harper.
I'm all for seeking the best resoloution to situations were people wont get hurt, but sometimes doing nothing will have the opposite effect if people are left to their own devices and realize the police will not protect them any longer . As time goes by more and more people of Caledonia are going to realize this and will react accordingly.
I don't know about you but if I was a resident in Caledonia, I'd be looking to arm myself and protect my family and property.
You can't and should never negotiate with thugs, hooligans and terrorists that hold innocent people hostage.
And this is happening in Canada 2007 ?
Unfucking believable.
ryan29 @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:56 pm
Caledonia has been is the news to an extent but its clearly been put on the backburner by the ontario liberals and they obvivously don't want to talk about it.
why because it makes them look bad and with polls so close they can't afford to lose any votes .
only hope is the locals and maybe opposition parties continue to make this an issue.
sasquatch2 @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:08 pm
The LIBRANOs made such a big deal about Dudley George, they now can't even appear to be responsible.
Too many folk suspect that what really happened at Ipperwash was much different than the politically correct kangaroo court ruled.
ryan29 @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:24 pm
sasquatch2 sasquatch2:
The LIBRANOs made such a big deal about Dudley George, they now can't even appear to be responsible.
Too many folk suspect that what really happened at Ipperwash was much different than the politically correct kangaroo court ruled.
Too many folk suspect that what really happened at Ipperwash was much different than the politically correct kangaroo court ruled.
good point , heres another thing sure no one has died during the caledonia dispute but do you have any idea how many "attemped murders " have taken place during this thing ( at least 3 by my count)
(numerous assaults have also taken place )
- one native was charged with attemped murder after an incident way back , last summer
- one man was shot outside a native run cigarette shop
a few months ago'
- just last week a developer was nearly beaten to death by natives in a house under construction
this all sounds like another dudley george incident in the making .
ryan29 @ Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:16 am
Sam Gualtieri, 52, of Caledonia, Ont., was found unconscious Thursday after he entered a partially built house and clashed with several aboriginal youths.
Ontario government pulls out of aboriginal talks
Updated Wed. Sep. 19 2007 10:02 AM ET
toronto.ctv.ca
The Ontario government has temporarily suspended talks with Six Nations representatives in response to the severe beating of homebuilder in Caledonia, Ont., last week.
"Ontario considers last week's confrontation unacceptable. Violence is never a solution to any dispute," Ontario's Ministry for Aboriginal Affairs said in a statement released on Tuesday.
"Occupations and unlawful tactics put public safety at risk and slow down resolution of these important land claims issues," the statement read.
The provincial government was originally scheduled to meet with Six Nations representatives this week.
Premier Dalton McGuinty signalled that the government would pull out of the talks after developer Sam Gualtieri was found unconscious in a partially built house he was constructing for his daughter on Sept. 13.
It's believed Gualtieri was beaten by a group of young aboriginal protesters after confronting them at the Stirling South residence.
On Friday, Chief Allen MacNaughton apologized for the violent altercation during a Six Nations Confederacy meeting.
The ministry commended the apologetic response and pledged its support to the federal government in working "through challenging issues in a peaceful and respectful manner."
The federal negotiating team responded to the cancelled meeting in a statement on Tuesday saying it hoped all three parties would return to the table for the next scheduled meeting on Oct. 3.
The violent incident occurred one kilometre from the contentious Douglas Creek housing development that has been the site of a Six Nations occupation for more than a year and a half.
Aboriginals said they occupied the site where Gualtieri was beaten because builders had not educated themselves as promised on new development protocols.
Protesters maintain building on the contested land will only proceed with native approval.
The aboriginals were given the land in 1784 by the British Crown, but Ottawa says the vast majority was surrendered or sold
WBenson @ Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:15 am
A hostile group of people holding a town hostage and occupying the property of others (if I buy something, it's mine. I don't care whose land it was 200 years ago. Nobody who it was taken from is still alive today.) is perfect material for the Emergencies Act, right?
ryan29 @ Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:01 am
WBenson WBenson:
A hostile group of people holding a town hostage and occupying the property of others (if I buy something, it's mine. I don't care whose land it was 200 years ago. Nobody who it was taken from is still alive today.) is perfect material for the Emergencies Act, right?
not sure if it is but this situation has really dragged on for way too long and it shouldn't of been allowed to continue for this long.
agree that the land is question hasn't been native land for a long time and it seems they only became interested when they noticed developers were making money and they weren't .
Sling @ Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:19 am
The policing and law and order are administered by the provincial government, but land claims are dealt with by the federal government.
The provincial government is also not allowed to direct the actions of the police. After Mike Harris got in trouble for allegedly interfering and giving direction to the O.P.P. any other provincial government will be sure to distance themselves from police actions.
sasquatch2 @ Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:15 am
Sling
$1:
The provincial government is also not allowed to direct the actions of the police. After Mike Harris got in trouble for allegedly interfering and giving direction to the O.P.P. any other provincial government will be sure to distance themselves from police actions.
Theory---practice is a different matter.
Harris directed police action.
McSquinty directed Police Inaction.
Sling @ Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:23 am
sasquatch2 sasquatch2:
Sling
Theory---practice is a different matter.
Harris directed police action.
McSquinty directed Police Inaction.
$1:
The provincial government is also not allowed to direct the actions of the police. After Mike Harris got in trouble for allegedly interfering and giving direction to the O.P.P. any other provincial government will be sure to distance themselves from police actions.
Theory---practice is a different matter.
Harris directed police action.
McSquinty directed Police Inaction.
Well it is a pretty serious allegation to say that a Premier directed police action and I don't think it was ever proven that Mike Harris did so, although a lot of people made the accusation. I'm no expert, but I think a politician would get in a lot of trouble for doing that.
Both OKA and the Dudley George situation were failures, I think police forces are trying to figure out a better way to deal with these kinds of situations.
No police officers were killed in Caledonia, no protesters were killed in Caledonia, and no citizens were killed in Caledonia. I would say that is an improvement on the past.
The only incident I have heard of relating to serious injury happened to a developer within the last couple of days, and the police just made arrests related to that yesterday or today...
sasquatch2 @ Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:40 am
Sling
$1:
No police officers were killed in Caledonia, no protesters were killed in Caledonia, and no citizens were killed in Caledonia. I would say that is an improvement on the past.
YET.
Sling
$1:
The only incident I have heard of relating to serious injury happened to a developer within the last couple of days, and the police just made arrests related to that yesterday or today...
Unrelated except for the scene. The arrests were a result of refusing to leave/disperse.