Angry in the Great White North

Reported on 680News:

Premier Dalton McGuinty says he doesn't want to see aboriginal protesters settling in for the winter at the former housing development they've been occupying in Caledonia, Ont., since February.

McGuinty said Wednesday he was not pleased to hear Six Nations protesters were asking their supporters for donations of food and building supplies to help maintain their occupation through the winter.

The protesters staying in Douglas Creek Estates "in some kind of permanent way, through the winter for example - that is not acceptable to us," McGuinty said.

"Any occupation of that land, any future use of that land, is a subject of negotiations."

I hate to break it to the premier, but there are no negotiations. There have never been any negotiations. Everything was a delaying tactic, designed to establish a de facto presence on the land. With each passing weak and month, it becomes more difficult for the government to force the protesters off the land. Not only in practical terms, with the time spent entrenching their positions, but also legally, with the difficult questions of why now and not earlier.

Have we reached the point of no return? Maybe, but clearly the protesters think not. Remember too that if they leave or dramatically reduce their presence because of winter weather, hotheads from Caledonia might be tempted a counter occupation, or at least some acts of vandalism. Besides the bad feelings and possible violence that would result, such acts would put into question the issue of native control. If such questions are raised, then we might have real negotiations, with real issues to resolve, instead of the expensive time-wasting that has been serving native interests all this time.

Of course, it could also be argued that while drawn out negotiations tend to help the natives, there is a limit, and they are reaching it. Now the delays are working against them. If the issue has not been resolved before winter, and the natives are forces to abandon their positions, then the facts on the ground might change. I don't think it'll play out this way, but then the natives are asking for help for a winter occupation, so maybe they know that the occupation is not near being concluded. We might be talking about a very different situation in Caledonia when the cold weather starts in few months.