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From CBC online at http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/06/12/fire-ontario.html

Fire forces 300 from Ontario reserve - June12, 2006
 
About 300 people fled a remote northern Ontario reserve Sunday as a forest fire advanced to within eight kilometres of the community.

Helicopters carried mostly young and elderly people from the Eabametoong reserve, which used to be known as Fort Hope. They're being housed in a sports complex in a nearby community.

The fire, which started Friday, is moving at about six kilometres per hour and is about 10 square kilometres in size.

Firefighters are using water bombers and helicopters to tackle the blaze.

Officials are preparing for larger-scale evacuations of the community of 1,100 should the fire get closer.

A remote First Nation on Eabamet Lake, Eabametoong is about 300 kilometres north of Thunder Bay and is accessible by air and winter road.

Ontario premier McGuinty is blaming Six Nations protesters who might just be innocent victims of media harassment, police interference and nosey intruders. Using these incidents as a rationale to "talk tough" and try to force the protesters to do what he wants is only going to escalate the conflict to another difficult level. See the two stories below ...

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20060612/mcguinty_caledonia_060612/20060612/?hub=TorontoHome

McGuinty losing patience with Caledonia dispute
Canadian Press

TORONTO — Ontario's premier says he's running out of patience with an increasingly violent native land claims demonstration near Hamilton, calling on protesters to remove a barricade at the disputed site or face uncertain consequences.

"We have just about exhausted our goodwill and our patience," Dalton McGuinty said Monday as police continued to search for seven men in connection with recent skirmishes at Caledonia, Ont., southwest of Hamilton.

"We're asking the leadership of the First Nations community involved to please remove those barricades as evidence of goodwill on their part."

Asked what he'll do if the barricade doesn't come down soon, McGuinty simply answered: "We'll see."

Warrants were issued after an elderly couple's car was swarmed and two news cameramen from a Hamilton television station were assaulted.

"I'm very pleased that warrants have been issued . . . I was angered and deeply disappointed that these particular individuals did what they did," McGuinty said.

The Six Nations started their occupation of the Caledonia housing development in February. The aboriginals claim that parcel of land belongs to their ancestors.

Attempts to end the dispute through peaceful negotiation haven't succeeded and tensions have been mounting among protesters, local residents and police.

The issue of how governments, and police, should resolve aboriginal protests falls under the shadow of the deadly 1995 Ipperwash crisis.

A police shooting resulted in the death of native protester Dudley George and an ongoing inquiry into that incident is investigating what role government played in directing police.

The opposition Conservatives have accused the McGuinty Liberals of failing to show enough leadership to help resolve the issue.

McGuinty recently countered that the preference of the Conservatives would be a show of police force - an apparent reference to how the previous Conservative government under former premier Mike Harris has been accused of handling the Ipperwash dispute.

Lawyers for Harris recently warned McGuinty that he's risking legal action if he makes statements that allege Harris issued direct orders to police at Ipperwash.

At the Ipperwash inquiry, Harris testified that at no time did he direct police actions.

++++++++++++++++++++

Ontario's premier calls off talks in Caledonia over violent skirmishes - ANGELA PACIENZA

TORONTO (CP) - Ontario's premier has called off negotiations with aboriginals protesting at a development site near Hamilton, saying the group's increasingly violent actions make it impossible to work together.

"A condition of our being at the table was that public safety would not be compromised. In fact, last Friday it was - without a doubt - compromised," Dalton McGuinty said in the legislature.

"We are no longer prepared to continue negotiations."

McGuinty said the province would only return to the table when the barricades at the disputed site come down and if aboriginals help with the police search for seven people in connection with recent skirmishes at the standoff in Caledonia, Ont., southwest of Hamilton.

Earlier Monday, McGuinty said the violence by the Six Nations people at the standoff has tried his patience.

"We have just about exhausted our goodwill and our patience," McGuinty said.

Asked what he'll do if the barricade doesn't come down soon, McGuinty simply answered: "We'll see."

Warrants were issued after an elderly couple's car was swarmed and two news cameramen from a Hamilton television station were assaulted on Friday.

"I'm very pleased that warrants have been issued . . . I was angered and deeply disappointed that these particular individuals did what they did," McGuinty said.

The Six Nations started their occupation of the Caledonia housing development in February. The aboriginals claim that parcel of land belongs to their ancestors.

Attempts to end the dispute through peaceful negotiation haven't succeeded and tensions have been mounting among protesters, local residents and police.

The issue of how governments, and police, should resolve aboriginal protests falls under the shadow of the deadly 1995 Ipperwash crisis.

A police shooting resulted in the death of native protester Dudley George and an ongoing inquiry into that incident is investigating what role government played in directing police.

The opposition Conservatives have accused the McGuinty Liberals of failing to show enough leadership to help resolve the issue.

McGuinty recently countered that the preference of the Conservatives would be a show of police force - an apparent reference to how the previous Conservative government under former premier Mike Harris has been accused of handling the Ipperwash dispute.

Lawyers for Harris recently warned McGuinty that he's risking legal action if he makes statements that allege Harris issued direct orders to police at Ipperwash.

At the Ipperwash inquiry, Harris testified that at no time did he direct police actions.

© The Canadian Press, 2006

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At 9:30pm, last night INAC and the provincial Aboriginal Affairs Minister issued a joint press release asking that all the barricades at Six Nations be removed. Non-native people in Caledonia as well as the MP for that region, HRSDC cabinet minister Diane Finley are demanding that the police remove these barricades.

Joint Statement by Minister Jim Prentice and Minister David Ramsay

OTTAWA AND TORONTO, June 11 /CNW Telbec/ - The following statement was released by  the Honourable  Jim Prentice, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Metis and Non-Status Indians, and the Honourable David Ramsay, Ontario Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs:

     "Events over the past months in Caledonia Ontario have caused great strain within that community and neighbouring Six Nations.  While the vast majority have demonstrated a great deal of restraint, perseverance, determination and goodwill, there are some who have not.

     We remain deeply concerned about the tensions and join the condemnation of the recent acts of violence in Caledonia.   These acts of aggression and intimidation on the part of a small few, are aimed at disrupting the significant progress that has been made by the governments of Canada, Six Nations and Ontario.

     Six Nations leadership has joined us and local council in speaking out clearly against this behaviour and have called for peace and reconciliation by pledging to work with various authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

     We find the recent acts of violence particularly discouraging because many of the issues at the root of these tensions have been resolved.  For example, since the federal-provincial joint offer was presented to Six Nations leaders on April 17, 2006:

• Barbara McDougall and Jane Stewart have been appointed to work with Six Nations negotiators on land grievances and this table has been active, with progress being made.
• There is now a moratorium on development at the Douglas Creek Estates with its ownership and use to be determined at the negotiating table.
• Provincially owned lands in the Haldimand tract have been identified for consideration as part of the land grievance process.
• Real progress has been made and there has been a commitment throughout that these talks will accelerate further as peace returns to the community.

     The remaining blockades have had a severe impact on the surrounding community and continue to disrupt community activities, social life, the local economy and pose a continued threat to public safety.

     We are asking that these blockades be removed as a matter of urgency in order that the source of tensions in the communities be eliminated.  This will mean that all involved can focus their resources and efforts to the task of resolving the outstanding issues at the table.

     Just as importantly, removal of the blockades will give everyone in the Caledonia community and Six Nations the opportunity to re-establish and further develop healthy community relationships which they have developed together over many years of living side-by-side as friends and neighbours. This is what all responsible community members want and what they deserve to have.

     Common to all of us who live in this wonderful country and province are the underlying and important values of peace and justice.  We cannot and will not be intimidated by the activities of the violent few who will sometimes seek to disrupt these cherished human values."

-30-

/For further information: INAC media relations, (819) 953-1160, Anne-Marie Flanagan, Press Secretary to Minister Ramsay, (416) 268-3690/