Haldimand mayor accuses St. Catharines city council of ‘leftist agenda’ in Indigenous land dispute (St. Catharines Standard)

(https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/2020/10/22/haldimand-mayor-accuses-st-catharines-city-council-of-leftist-agenda-in-indigenous-land-dispute.html)

Haldimand mayor accuses St. Catharines city council of ‘leftist agenda’ in Indigenous land dispute

Motion to support negotiations over police action called ‘plain and simple wrong’

By Karena WalterStandard Reporter

Thu., Oct. 22, 2020timer3 min. read

The mayor of Haldimand County is accusing St. Catharines city council of jumping on “a leftist agenda” that is “more damaging than helpful” after councillors asked that police not be used to escalate conflict in an Indigenous land dispute in that community.

St. Catharines council unanimously passed a motion Monday night on the recommendation of its anti-racism advisory committee, asking officials in Niagara’s neighbouring community to continue to negotiate rather than call in police at 1492 Land Back Lane.

“My frustrations are with your motion that undermines a situation that directly affects us here in Haldimand,” Mayor Ken Hewitt wrote in an email to St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik Wednesday night.

“Too (sic) simply jump on a leftist agenda and assume that racism is what is driving mine, the OPP, and our courts as we attempt to resolve this illegal occupation of validly owned land by Losani is plain and simple wrong.”

But Sendzik defended the council motion in an email back to Hewitt, obtained by the One Dish, One Mic CKTB radio program and posted on Twitter.

“This isn’t a leftist agenda,” Sendzik wrote. “The action in the motion states that police force not be used to escalate the conflict and to focus on nation to nation negotiations to settle the land claims. That was the spirit of the motion and one that we should all should (sic) support.”

The issue involves property south of Caledonia that was slated for a residential development and has been occupied by Indigenous land defenders since July.

The city’s anti-racism advisory committee passed a resolution on Oct. 7 recommending St. Catharines council send a message to the Ontario and Haldimand County governments and the Haldimand County Police Services Board asking that police not be used to escalate the conflict and that meaningful consultations be used to settle all claims.

Merritton Coun. Greg Miller, who moved the motion Monday night, said Thursday that at the end of the day council was suggesting that instead of having police action there continue to be a nation to nation negotiation and discussion.

“Emotions are pretty high around this issue, but I feel pretty safe saying an email like that from Ken Hewitt doesn’t help,” Miller said.

“What we wanted to see, and I think what our anti-racism committee wanted to see, is to take some of the emotion out and have a discussion and equitable negotiation and, unfortunately, when you refer to the occupation as illegal, that’s just stoking the flames and I think that’s really unfortunate.”

Hewitt wrote in his email to Sendzik, which he asked to be shared with the rest of council, that the St. Catharines motion “does not serve the 200 or so innocent home buyers who are patiently waiting for their dream home to be built.”

Hewitt added that contractors are waiting to earn the incomes they deserve and the community wants to see the “constant sources of intimidation and threats of violence” come to an end.

“You see what you may hear or read about on mainstream or social media is not fully capturing what is happening here on the ground,” Hewitt wrote.

“Before I would support a motion that directly affects another community in the Province I would take the time (to) gainfully appreciate all sides of the equation prior to succumbing to some one sided agenda that is more damaging than helpful.”

Sendzik responded in his letter that members of St. Catharines council and the community have become more interested in the land dispute with the arrest by the OPP of a local journalist, referring to Karl Dockstader of One Dish, One Mic who was charged after reporting from the camp.

Sendzik added that the city has a memorandum of understanding with the Niagara Native Centre and it is a cornerstone of how the city is walking down the path of Truth and Reconciliation.

“Two members of the leadership at the NNC have been arrested by the OPP related to land dispute (one being the journalist) and in the context of what is happening in Canada recently (and its troubled past with First Nations, Metis and Inuit) it is clear that WE — the collective we — have a long way to go towards both understanding and building new ways to address issues that have been framed for generations against First Nations.”

Karena Walter is a St. Catharines-based reporter, primarily covering city hall for the Standard. Reach her via email: karena.walter@niagaradailies.com