And justice for all?
By Warren Sault, Brantford
The Hamilton Spectator
(Apr 22, 2006)
Justice for all, words that may resound again, with natives shedding a long and enduring conflict to maintain
their property rights. With a long history of failed resolutions embedded in government bureaucracy the ideals
and principals that it owns such lands without due process and realistic compensation for such.
"Some residents of Caledonia seem to have forgotten a time when the town's economy was, at least partially,
dependent on the Six Nations residents. Maybe it has never been acknowledged."
This assumption of abusive power resonates with many landowners who’s rights have been usurped by Provincial
legislation with regards to Green Space. Entrenched rights embedded in agriculture, for generations, allowed farmers
after ten years of farming to sever a retirement lot. For generations small towns maintained the rights to gradually
expand allowing local farmers to live out their days in their local communities. The Green Belt legislation has usurped
these entrench rights, many of such lands are trapped within areas that are no longer sustainable agricultural properties,
lands that are too small for said purpose or that previous growth has exposed such properties to be deemed so limited
to a variety of agriculture practices. These many properties are devalued as their proximity to rural growth and are not
sustainable for the purposes of agriculture.
No one is disputing the need to re-evaluate the ideals of green space but the province is doing so at the expense of
historical practice. With the swipe of a pen and without compensation it unilaterally stole the rights of farmers.
"So on one hand the Legislature understands the need to purchase property from its owners while on the other
they intend to severely restrict land rights at the stroke of a pen without compensation."
http://www.tedchudleigh.com/newpage3.htm This process to place while cities stood by and failed to represent or help define major issues that has allowed this tragic
use of power to assimilate all rural properties into a vast pool. This process is discriminatory, and prejudicial and violates
the historical principles that had assisted and allows many farmers to retire in dignity. Now many of said properties are
becoming worthless and have no meaningfully agriculture value. Perhaps, the native plight with respect to property rights
is the door way and a guide to re-establish all of our property rights.
What do you think..?
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