The Army in Brantford

As part of the application for an injunction against Native protests that have ground development to a virtual halt in Brantford, a request was made for the Canadian Army to be put on standby in case of rioting. After reading much of this application, I'm not totally clear who the Council is expecting to riot; the Natives in reaction to arrests that would result if the injunction is not obeyed or Brantford residents fed up with this constant harassment that is costing lost jobs and much frustration. So far the Native protests have been mostly peaceful, although there have been many implied threats of violence by the protesters and in Native posts on various websites and in letters to The Expositor. There has been no evidence that city residents, though fed up with these protests, are about to engage in violent acts.

Either way if rioting and occupation does occur, it will certainly not help the situation regarding the loss of development in Brantford. In fact, I think that many people will consider leaving the community. The Expositor will not have to debate what rank Brantford deserves in the most dangerous city in Canada category. We will be number one for sure.

Although the situation as it stands in regards to halted development is intolerable and the Natives are doing little to help their cause and just creating worsening relations with their neighbours, the Council would be ill advised to push ahead with this action if violence requiring the Canadian Army to get involved is the end result.

Dalton? Hello? Dalton?

Isn't it about time that the Provincial Government got involved in the ongoing land claims dispute in Brantford. The Natives claim that all the land in Brantford belongs to them including the land that the provincial courthouse sits on.

The province has an official land registry that issues deeds for property in Ontario, including Brantford. Either the Natives are correct and the Provincial Land Registry is a fraud and has been collecting fees for nothing and we have all been deceived about actually owning the property that our houses are built upon or the natives are wrong (after all there was a general surrender of these native lands in 1841) and the titles that the province issues are valid. But it's past time for Premier Dalton McGuinty to finally step up to the plate and issue a statement defending the Provincial Registry. Dalton has continually ducked any questions about these disputes and has avoided visiting this area like we all have the plague. His only statement about this matter is that if you find yourself involved in a land dispute "you are on your own". This is totally unacceptable and is a total lack of leadership. Step up Mr. Premier, or step down.

Glenhyrst

I guess since the McGuinty Government has made it legal to put up clothes lines everywhere now, the good folks involved with Glenhyrst Art Gallery feel that it is okay to air their dirty laundry in public.

Two More Useless Bylaws

The Brantford City council has passed two bylaws aimed at the current native protests. They deal with interference with construction or access to property, and attempts by a native organization to charge unauthorized fees. Why the interference bylaw only deals with three specific sites and not the whole city is a mystery. But why are these bylaws even necessary given that there are other laws to deal with these illegal activities and who is going to enforce them anyway seeing how the police have refused to enforce those other laws? In the best case scenario if enforcement is made the natives will just move on to other sites not covered by this bylaw, in the worse case we may have a full blown occupation under way in Brantford. If this happens I hope it is on Erie Ave. seeing how it was the neighbours who called in the natives in the first place. Be careful what you wish for.

But most likely the passage of these bylaws was just another grandstanding move by the current Council which has just stood by wringing it's hands as development grinds to a halt in Brantford. ( There is no need for the Ontario Government to impose a development freeze in this area as discussed below; it has already happened). And these bylaws will just join a long list of bylaws like the no open burning one, that are never enforced anyway.

Don't Call The Police

If you wake up one morning to find Natives lounging on your deck, or constructing a tent in your backyard, or even sitting in your living room, don't bother to call the Brantford City Police. They don't want to get involved. Oh, they might show up to assess the situation but as long as there is no violence, then according to them everything is okay. And they will probably advise you not to disturb the natives. If you do, you might be the one arrested. But otherwise it's not their problem. Why would they want to enforce the law anyway?

And don't bother to contact the Mayor or Council either, they will just say their hands are tied and there is nothing they can do.

Don't bother to contact Dave Levac either. Oh, he might fire of a letter to someone or other, as he always does but that will be all the help you will receive there. And Premier McGuinty? If contacted he will pretend he knows nothing about the existence of Brantford, will blame the Feds and then change the subject to how the province is being short-changed by Ottawa. After all McGuinty has stated that when it comes to Native occupations "you are on your own".

And finally the Federal Government. They will refer you back to the province saying that they are the ones responsible for policing. And it won't do any good to contact the Liberal opposition either. After all, Former Prime Minister Paul Martin, say he thinks that Native protest are okay. And it is the Harper Governments fault that land claims are not settled, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Liberals were in power for twelve of the last fourteen years when nothing was done to settle these claims.