Friday, June 16, 2006

McGuinty Buying his Way out with OUR MONEY?

Please tell me this isn't true! Is this what I think it is? McGuinty is paying off the developer to save his political neck?

Ontario buys out Caledonia Land Developer - Star
(H/T Nealenews)

Say it ain't so!!!


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UPDATE: According to the Ottawa Citizen, the natives are upset over this latest development:

"They haven't begun to resolve anything with us, but as a far as corporate Canada - they've done everything to appease them,''


The plot sickens.



ANOTHER BLOGGING TORY LINK: Conservative Elitist says the repercussions have already started.


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SATURDAY UPDATE: McGuinty caves again in Caledonia. (Toronto Sun)

Great line here:

Someone should tell the premier that there's not much point in drawing a line in the sand if, every time someone crosses it, you just end up drawing a new line.


AND A DISTURBING COMMENT IN TODAY'S NATIONAL POST!!!

But David Ramsay, Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, said that the two parties have agreed on a price, although he would not disclose the amount...

Mr. Ramsay defended the cost of the purchase as a worthwhile way to end the dispute. "We are spending taxpayers' dollars all the time to settle land claims," he said. "The people of Canada have an outstanding liability in all these land claims and over time, as we settle them, there are huge cash settlements with First Nations.... I guess I would have to say, you've seen nothing yet."

Guess whose going to have their hands in your pocket for the rest of time? If people outside of Ontario don't think this has anything to do with them, you are living in a dream world.

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TUESDAY UPDATE: You need a backhoe and concrete for a dig??? And I trust that they got all the necessary permits. Yeah, right.



28 comments:

Anonymous said...

In other words, he's going to reward the natives for all their lawlessness. Good example for all the others, eh?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

If there are no negative consequences for the natives, you can expect to see this kind of thing happen all over Ontario and beyond.

Anonymous said...

Yup, it could be a very tough summer for a lot of "non-native" folks. Let the blockades begin!

Sara said...

I don't have to read it, you know it is so. He's McSquishy and he says would you like fries with that because Ontario will buy it for you!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Good one, Sara!

I think it's time for the taxpayers of Ontario to stage a little protest of our own. Thoughts?

Zac said...

"I think it's time for the taxpayers of Ontario to stage a little protest of our own."

I thought that was what Mike Harris was for? :-)

Anonymous said...

This doesn't surprise me at all. In a previous post I mentioned about Owen Sound and how the government (you & I) paid the owners of their homes to move so they could give the land to the natives. I agree with Soccermom, soon we will see blockades all over the place.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Yes, and not only that, but we'll be paying for all these legal issues with businesses, etc.

Maybe time for towns to start a legal fund for native land claims, because at this rate, Ontario will be bankrupt before too long.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Hey, I wonder if native Ontarions get their eye exams covered?

Joan Tintor said...

I saw this coming. A government clearly unwilling to oust the natives really has no choice. The owners would have had to bring the land into the Land Titles system before it was subdivded.

Under Land Titles, the government guarantees that the land is free and clear of all encumbrances including, presumably, any oustanding native land claims.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Wow. Thanks, Joan. What I don't understand is how the developer got the all-clear in the first place.

OMMAG said...

Henco had all the permits and was ready to build.

You are now stuck with the fallout of a spineless government that is only too willing to cave in to criminals and to avoid dealing with the hard facts. This is a weasling move that you are being forced to bear the cost for.
My condolences.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Thanks, PGP. Can you please remind us in Ontario about that when the next provincial election rolls around?

Anonymous said...

But I heard on Duffy yesterday that an official land claim WAS NEVER FILED on that land (no paperwork). That's presumably why the land was Ok'd to be developed.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Soccermom, I am really confused about this too. I think Mac had some insight in an earlier post. I'll have to go back and check it out.

Anonymous said...

this just might push Dolt'n past Bob Rae as #1 on the worst Ontario premier list

Joanne (True Blue) said...

x2para - At the very least,

Dolton = Rae = Ontario disaster.

Unknown said...

This is just another example of politcal correctness gone wild. McGuinty's too scared to offend people he can't even enforce the law.

Anonymous said...

Whoever brokered this deal, and the government levels involved with the developers, knew full well the land was under dispute.
Those people should be found and made to pay back the commissions and finders fees they got for the "deal" as well as any out-of-pocket expenses incurred on both sides over this attempt of land theft.
Since it happened on Ontario's watch, of course Ontario is on the hook for it.
Perhaps the rush to "appeasement" as it has been called is more of a smoke-screen to hide who was really behind the land deal that never was real. A bone to throw the dogs to keep them off the track of the movers and shakers behind this "deal."
But take heart, the people of Caledonia get loads of cash to pay them for their discomfort while their governments played silly buggers with land which was known to be First Nations land.
Perhaps this issue will stand as a reminder to Canadians and corporate interests that the land claims issues must be settled BEFORE selling it off to some poor sucker.
Remember the "bridge for sale" schemes of the past.
Still, don't you wonder why the OPP and by extension the Feds are allowing American law enforcement in to the area?
I wonder how much US money was invessted in this "deal of the century (so far)."

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Andrew, McWimpy seems afraid of his own shadow. I just hope there's a province left after he's done with it.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Anonymous, I agree. We need to nip this type of thing in the bud. Somebody messed up big time selling off land they obviously had no business selling, and yet Ontario is on the hook for this mess? It is beyond my comprehension how this could happen. We need to put processes in place to stop it from happening again.

Anonymous said...

There should be a complete and real Public Inquiry into the entire Caledonia fiasco and those who are irresponsible in this matter should be held accountable. I've said before that if the Government can't deal with the situation they should step down and let a government who will take action deal with it.
This govt is racist in the way it is dealing with the matter. If it were just whites the situation would be over.

Anonymous said...

But take heart, the people of Caledonia get loads of cash to pay them for their discomfort while their governments played silly buggers with land which was known to be First Nations land.

A new classification of land? So what exactly is "First Nations land" and what piece of legislation provides a definition of such? Can you provide any references to this?

Depending on who you talk to, the Six Nations has no legitimate claim whatsoever to this land, not that it makes any difference whatsoever when it comes to land claims.

FWIW, here's a CBC timeline of the dispute... Timeline!

My inner redneck always bristles when land claims are mentioned. At present, 110+% of British Columbia's landmass is subject to land claims. The amount above 100% represent land claimed by more than one band. Does that makes sense to anyone? Oh, spare me the "we stole their land" nonsense because that's exactly what it is: NONSENSE!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Mac, thanks as always for your valuable contributions to this blog. The timeline is an excellent resource.

My inner redneck - I love it!


Rick - Reverse discrimination for sure. We are experiencing that all over the country in so many differents ways. The minorities and special-interest groups have us by the ... (you fill in the rest).

Anonymous said...

short & curlies?

I don't think my contributions are any more valuable than anyone else's since we're all here to learn and share but thanks all the same.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

lol! Yeah, Mac, well that works...

I don't we're all here to learn. Some are here to criticize and troll - an immature past-time. And on matters relating to the RCMP, you are my expert! ;)

Unknown said...

The latest comments by David Ramsey are an outrage. To say the people of Ontario owe a massive liability to the Indians is utterly irresponsible. I just posted more on this at my website.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Yeah, I fear all the natives' lawyers in Canada are going to run to the bank with that one.