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Caledonia standoff land to cost taxpayers $12.3M

Christina Blizzard
Ottawa Sun
Thursday, June 22, 2006

[SISIS note: The following mainstream news article is provided for reference only, as an example of how mainstream media treats indigenous resistance to genocide. Mainstream media often presents biased and distorted information, lacking pertinent facts and/or context. Inclusion of this article on our site should not be considered an endorsement by SISIS.]

TORONTO -- It will cost taxpayers $12.3 million to buy land occupied by native protesters in Caledonia, Premier Dalton McGuinty revealed yesterday.

That figure is the cost the province will pay for the land only. McGuinty said a further amount will be negotiated to pay for damages suffered by Henco Industries, the company that planned to build 600 homes on Douglas Creek Estates, a 40-hectare property.

About 10 homes were under construction.

The province will hold the land in trust until the claim is settled.

"The reason that we are doing this, and proceeding with the purchase of this land, is because we feel that it's only fair and proper that we help out a couple of local brothers who assumed responsibility to develop these lands and, through no fault of their own, were caught up in circumstances. We feel a sense of responsibility to help them out," McGuinty said.

Progressive Conservative leader John Tory said the deal sets a bad precedent.

"This is a terrible way to steward the taxpayers' money and it is a terrible precedent to set in terms of how these kinds of situations are dealt with -- not just involving taxpayers' money but involving how you are solving problems when people are defying court orders and occupying lands, for example."

Six Nations protesters began occupying the land southwest of Hamilton in February, claiming the land rightfully belongs to them.

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