Last chance to speak up on Caledonia development

Listen closely to the accommodation proposal being tabled regarding a large housing and commercial development in Caledonia, not far from Kanonhstaton, and let your voice be heard this Thursday at the Six Nations Community Hall at 7 pm. It may be your last opportunity to weigh in on the matter.
Listen closely to the accommodation proposal being tabled regarding a large housing and commercial development in Caledonia, not far from Kanonhstaton, and let your voice be heard this Thursday at the Six Nations Community Hall at 7 pm. It may be your last opportunity to weigh in on the matter.

OHSWEKEN — An important community meeting is coming up this Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Six Nations Community Hall regarding an accommodation package being put forth by a Caledonia developer to build a large subdivision within the Haldimand Tract.

A PowerPoint style presentation is available on-line through the Elected Council’s website, but it only offers the basic information. For more detailed info, Six Nations residents are being asked to attend Thursday’s meeting beginning at 7 pm. But more importantly, they are being asked to voice their approval or disapproval of the proposal, which is presently on the table.

The 107 acres of lands in question are located on the west side of McKenzie Road, South of Fuller Road in the urban area of Caledonia, not far from the former Douglas Creek Estates site. These lands are under the same Plank Road land claim as Kanonhstaton.

The McKenzie Meadows Development benefit summary being considered by the Elected Band Council includes a guarantee that for every residential unit sold, the developer will provide $1,250 towards the construction of the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo language immersion school.

At a minimum of 700 units with a maximum of 1,000 units, that could bring between $875,000 and $1,250,000. This would be a one-time accommodation package that would expire with the selling of the last unit in the subdivision.

According to Lonnie Bomberry, the Lands and Resources Director for the Six Nations Elected Band Council, this process is being considered the fulfillment of the duty to consultation and accommodation, and as such, Band Council will record the comments of the community in its decision making process regarding the project.

“This is an accommodation being made by a third party, which doesn’t involve the government,” says Bomberry.

As such, he says this process will not undermine the Plank Road land claim in any fashion.

“That claim is still there and it’s against the government,” Bomberry says.

Once the development is sold and the developer has moved on to something else, what happens should the Plank Road land claim be settled in favour of Six Nations?

“Well … our claim is the entire tract,” he says. “This is just one little speck in that and this will not negate our claim. The purpose of these meetings is for consultation with the community.”

There will be questionnaires given to those in attendance Thursday, which those who wish to speak for themselves on the subject are encouraged to fill out and submit. They have also been put in people’s mailboxes. There is also an opportunity to engage in the process on-line through the Band Council’s website.

But the last chance to speak up according to the Band Council process comes Thursday night Nov. 21st, at the Six Nations Community Hall.

Remember, your absence from the process is taken by Band Council as a go-ahead so it is very important to speak up while there is an opportunity to do so. No matter which side of the matter you are on.

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