BRANTFORD – Brantford Mayor Chris Friel is taking the gloves off in his drive to force the County to accept a land transfer deal they don’t seem to be willing to make, at least without a full consultation process with the Six Nations who have definite interest in the land in question. Most of the 5,000 acre proposed transfer is part of the Johnson Settlement claim that has been before the government of Canada since at least 1995 when the Elected Council filed law suit against Brantford, Ontario, and Canada.
In this letter which we have obtained through reliable sources, Friel threatens the County to accept the will of city hall or the Province will be asked to force them to accept it.
More on this story as it develops.
Brantford Mayor Friel seems bound and determined Brant County must hand over governance of that Brant County land to the City.
Why should Brant County be obliged?
And why the heck does anyone have to consult with or make any deal with the Six Nations of the Grand River about transferring governance of that land from Brant County to Brantford?
That land hasn’t been Six Nations Iroquois land since they surrendered a huge tract of land in the what is now U.S.A. and land in what is now southwestern Ontario and along the Grand River to the British Crown and “for ever quit claime” to that land according to the Albany (Nanfan) Treaty in 1701.
Consultation when land is transferred or developed anywhere in Ontario is required. Since much of the land on the original tract is under claim, and is presently occupied, other vacant lands are fair game for return to Six Nations as settlement of outstanding claims. The Federal Court has ruled that land return must remain a viable option on the table for lands claims negotiations.