Couchiching vows to set up toll booth

[Gerritt]

http://fftimes.com/node/233087

 

Couchiching vows to set up toll booth

 

By Peggy Revell

 

Couchiching First Nation has announced its intention to set up a toll booth near the west end of the Noden Causeway as of May 21.

The decision by the band council to set up the toll booth is twofold, explained Chief Chuck McPherson.

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It stems from the failure of the federal and provincial government to properly compensate the community for the land on which Highway 11 is built, as well as the government’s response to the soil contamination issue believed to be caused by the former J.A. Mathieu sawmill.

In the days prior to the band setting up the toll booth, it will be holding traffic slowdowns along the highway to distribute information pamphlets, outlining their concerns and reasons for the action.

“It’s not going to affect the emergency services,” stressed band councillor Eugene McPherson.

“We’d be dead wrong if we started doing stuff like that,” he noted.

The band said it also will begin charging a fee for all who launch boats from the Five-Mile Dock.

The exact length of time which the toll booth will be in operation is unknown, noted Chief McPherson, saying the ultimate goal is to come to some kind of satisfactory agreement with both levels of government.

“Over the last 50 years since the construction of the Noden Causeway, there’s been billions of dollars generated in the district economy,” said Chief McPherson.

“And we haven’t been allowed to participate in that.”

Originally, the province and federal Department of Indian Affairs negotiated an exchange of the 44.5 acres within what’s historically known as the “two-chain shore allowance” for the 33.9 acres of land used to build Highway 11, Chief McPherson explained.

But he said the original survey of the “two-chain shore allowance” land was done “erroneously,” explaining the surveyor commissioned to survey the neighbouring Agency #1 reserve back in 1876 included land that already was part of the Couchiching reserve.

As well, dam construction in the early 1900s meant only nine acres of the original 44.5 acres exists.

“So, in effect, we got our own land in exchange for the highway right-of-way,” argued Chief McPherson. “We were never compensated for it.”

About three years ago, the federal and provincial governments offered a combined amount of $500,000 in compensation­­­—“an insult,” said Chief McPherson, especially as the province has settled million-dollar claims with mining companies, such as the $5-million buy-out of Platinex Inc.’s claim following a dispute with Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation.

So the Couchiching band council has agreed to erect a toll booth to raise monies for economic and

social development ventures in their community, he stated.

People “think nothing” of crossing the international bridge and paying a toll there, noted Chief McPherson, adding Couchiching residents pay non-resident fees to utilize services such as the library, arena, and pool in Fort Frances.

“And that’s all we’re asking in return—that if people are utilizing our property and our facilities, we want to be compensated for it,” said Chief McPherson.

“I don’t think that’s unfair, I think that’s reasonable.”

Besides the issue of the Highway 11 corridor, the decision to set up the toll booth comes following the federal government’s handling of the contaminated grounds at the former site of the dipping ponds of the J.A. Mathieu sawmill—where six residences are now situated.

“A large portion of Couchiching property has been found to be contaminated with dioxins, furans, and a whole multitude of other chemicals,” noted Chief McPherson.

“The Department of Indian Affairs consented to a lease 100 years ago and in that particular area, there were a series of sawmills and wood treatment plants and so forth, and the Department of Indian Affairs has an obligation and a right to ensure that the property is restored to its original pristine state.

“They didn’t do that,” he charged.

This contamination was known as early as 2003, when soil testing was done for a new police building.

To date, Ottawa has spent almost $2 million “in doing studies, to find out, to confirm that which they already know—it’s contaminated,” Chief McPherson said.

“The land is contaminated—and all they want to do is study it. They don’t want to do anything else,” he remarked.

“At some point in time, common sense has to come into play. People are being endangered up there.

“It’s a health issue,” he stressed.

“We have residents living there that have indicated that they are willing to relocate. A number of them have taken out mortgages and built their own homes, and they just want to be compensated for that.

“And Indian Affairs is not prepared to do that,” Chief McPherson said.

A preliminary estimate to fully relocate these six residences to a new site that would be the “same level of accommodations that they have right now” amounts to about $1.5 million.

“We don’t have the financial resources to compensate them or relocate them,” noted the chief. “So Canada has a responsibility.”

Yet Indian and Northern Affairs so far has refused to move the families, he said, with band officials being told that “if we do it for Couchiching, then we have to do it for everybody. We don’t want to set a precedent.”

“Well, certainly, if people are in contaminated lands, I think the government of Canada has an obligation to ensure that safety and health are ensured,” Chief McPherson added, noting this lack of action also “blatantly” ignores the priority of the Canadian government relative to First Nations’ safety and health.

Couchiching Coun. Ed Yerxa called both the Highway 11 corridor and contaminated site “historical long-standing issues.”

“Those are issues that have impacted our community in not such a nice way,” he said. “I think the community has been patient, we’ve been nice.

“Some of the comments I’ve heard from our community members is we’ve been nice too long.

“And we don’t owe anybody anything out there,” Coun. Yerxa stressed. “When you look at the benefits that the highway has had for the district, the province, Canada, I think we need to be compensated, as well.”

As for the soil contamination, the site is a huge tract of land—and it’s land the band no longer can use, he said.

“And the only thing that we do have, hopefully, is the land. And we have to take care of that.

“We have to keep it, and I don’t think we’re ever going to compromise what we do have when it comes to the land.”

As for the putting up the toll booth, Coun. Yerxa said he’s “prepared to be here for the long haul.”

“We’re not satisfied with the services provided by the federal and the provincial government,” Chief McPherson said.

While health and education are to be provided to First Nations as a part of the treaties, Chief McPherson cited a recent case where Health Canada refused to cover the costs of a root canal for a young Couchiching resident, deeming it “not essential.”

“So we have to take some kind of action to compensate for trying to help our people,” he reasoned. “And if we can [apply] a toll fee to the million-plus cars that come through here on an annual basis, we’ll have to do that.

“Unfortunately, it’s an action that’s necessitated by the level of service provided by the federal and provincial governments.

“Taxpayers always say that, ‘We pay taxes and it goes to the First Nation communities’—and the taxpayer does have a right to be upset,” added Chief McPherson, noting that allocations for every status Indian amounts to $20,000-$22,000 per capita every year.

On Couchiching, that would amount to $42 million a year, he explained.

But the last financial agreement with Indian Affairs saw the band receiving a little over $6 million each year—of which 90 percent goes towards education.

At this point, the band council has yet to determine what the exact toll at the booth will be. But Chief McPherson said it will be comparable to what the private company charges for crossing the international bridge, and with boat launching fees comparable to what the Town of Fort Frances charges at the Sorting Gap Marina.

“We’re not being radical, we’re not being dissidents, we’re not being violent,” Chief McPherson stressed.

“We’re just asking for the same consideration that private operators have and municipalities have.”

As for the contaminated soil, only after the residents are relocated will chief and council be willing to participate in further studies of the location, said Chief McPherson.

And while only one site currently is being studied for contamination, the full extent of the contamination is still unknown, he warned.

“We haven’t done further studies along the lakeshore to the east, towards the Five-Mile area. There were mills in operation in that area,” the chief said, pointing to the land where more Couchiching residences and programs are located.

The contamination might not be exclusive to Couchiching, he remarked, noting that with the way the water flows, the issue could be impacting the whole district.

[irishfield]

Just like a hooker.. you can sell it a 100 times and still own it.

[DRIFTER_016]

Hmmmmm, they're right it's too dangerous to stay there.

Indian and Northern Affairs should set them up with a nice little homestead in Alert!!!!

[Terry]

“Over the last 50 years since the construction of the Noden Causeway, there’s been billions of dollars generated in the district economy,” said Chief McPherson.

“And we haven’t been allowed to participate in that.”

 

 

 

what about Rama /license to steal/ Casino.....

like I think you have made out OK...

[Maverick]

“Over the last 50 years since the construction of the Noden Causeway, there’s been billions of dollars generated in the district economy,” said Chief McPherson.

“And we haven’t been allowed to participate in that.”

 

 

 

what about Rama /license to steal/ Casino.....

like I think you have made out OK...

 

Different tribe. These guys are by Fort Frances, not Rama.

[Terry]

they all get money from Rama....

 

 

 

ok I was thinking the wrong area....LOL

[pikehunter]

Different tribe. These guys are by Fort Frances, not Rama.

When I worked there I was told this...

they all get money from Rama....

 

 

Or at least a percentage of whatever is left over after the Gov. and the operator/management co. dips their hands in for their cut of the action, that is my understanding. However the natives didn't get anything from the casino for a long time after it opened and if memory serves correct, they didn't get as much as they were originally offered. Government better smartin' up before we have another Caledonia situation.

Edited May 8, 2010 by pikehunter

[Terry]

yeah but that was the rama natives fighting for a larger percentage of the funds that held up the dispersal of the funds

[John the Fisherman]

Hmmmmm, they're right it's too dangerous to stay there.

Indian and Northern Affairs should set them up with a nice little homestead in Alert!!!!

 

 

That was already done back in the 50's with a village of Inuit who just happened to be sitting on a nice chunk of minerals. Pack'em up and move out. It didn't pan out well for them. I mean, some Gov't guy coming and saying "we are going to put you over here with a new house and fresh start". Well...the house didn't come for over a year, so they made there own shacks out of what they could find, and took it. These are nation to nation situations. Canada created the Treaty's, and first nation people signed them with the "promise and understanding" of the terms of their associated treaty. Canada set the rules, now if only they could abide by them.

 

JTF

[Dara]

That was already done back in the 50's with a village of Inuit who just happened to be sitting on a nice chunk of minerals. Pack'em up and move out. It didn't pan out well for them. I mean, some Gov't guy coming and saying "we are going to put you over here with a new house and fresh start". Well...the house didn't come for over a year, so they made there own shacks out of what they could find, and took it. These are nation to nation situations. Canada created the Treaty's, and first nation people signed them with the "promise and understanding" of the terms of their associated treaty. Canada set the rules, now if only they could abide by them.

 

JTF

 

 

The government has tried just about every way there is to deal with natives except treating them like people. They cut a deal, now live up to it...it would be cheaper for all of us in the long run.

[tonyb]

The situation will continue to get worse if the feds can't open a dialogue with First Nations over the HST issue. The Province points the finger at the Feds, and vice versa...end result is nothing is accomplished.

 

http://www.midnorthmonitor.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2563338

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cram]

If what they say is true - that the land is contaminated, people are getting sick, and that the land promised was not given.....then these guys have a legitimate complaint. Not sure why everyone is so anti-indian.

 

If there was a country doing what canada did to the natives only 200 yrs ago (only 4 x the lifetimes of many on this board), it could be called Genocide.

 

Something to think about..

Edited May 11, 2010 by cram

[solopaddler]

 

Canada created the Treaty's, and first nation people signed them with the "promise and understanding" of the terms of their associated treaty. Canada set the rules, now if only they could abide by them.

JTF

 

 

The government has tried just about every way there is to deal with natives except treating them like people. They cut a deal, now live up to it...it would be cheaper for all of us in the long run.

 

 

The treaties were signed in a time and place where they made sense.

In this day and age they don't.

 

No one can possibly deny the fact that injustices were served up to the natives.

 

But...they continue to be our countries largest social problem.

Until they fully integrate with the rest of our society it'll never end.

 

Unfortunately I can't see any politician with enough stones to make such a controversial decision, so it'll probably never happen.

[Billy Bob]

We have VERY SIMILAR situation here in NYS with the Seneca Indians...but they only want to take advantage of situations and not compete with other businesses here...they want to sell cigarettes and gasoline tax free and under cutting the businesses that border their reservations...they have a complete monopoly with their casinos also...but here's what bothers me most...MOST and I'll say it again MOST BY FAR of all the people working in the gas stations, cigarette stores and all their casino's are NOT Native Americans but rather white or black people. And it's not because they can't get hired, they choose NOT to work but rather live off the 6-8 thousand dollars that they get from the casino's every year and then complain to the NYS government about their problems.

[bucktail]

I thought this was a joke at first!

The new bridge was put in to accomadate the increased traffic going to the casino.... which is theres!!!!

Maybe the goverment should block off access to Rama Rd??

[ecmilley]

Isn't this were the term indian giver came from?

[bigbuck]

I wonder when they are going to restrict access to the roadway, May 2-4 anyone??? This will be a big mess for those trying to head up north this summer. Unfortunately, the taxpayers, not the government will be the ones suffering this. The natives cry foul a lot. Now, they have a point on many issues. Like it was mentioned above, the treaties were all signed over a hundred years ago and everything has changed since then. Maybe things could be renegotiated, how about giving them all kinds of money up front and taking away their status cards and making them pay income tax, sales tax, property tax, cigarette tax, liquor tax, tax, tax, tax.... just like the rest of us. These things were not around when the original treaties were signed. Note to the taxpayers, don't worry, it won't take too long for us to get our money back. Yes, there are lots of problems within the bands, but one thing is for sure, some natives live a lot better than their brothers and sisters within the same community.