Protest in Fort Frances

[Trevor Zimak 171]

Starting Friday, if you are travelling to Fort this weekend you can expect to pay a toll to use highway 11 as the First Nations peoples of Chouchiching (may have spelt it wrong) Reserve will be charging non band member drivers a toll to use the highway. ($1.00 to $10.00 depending on the vehicle you drive or if you are towing a boat) And apparently, they will be selling monthly passes for a $100 or so. So I'm thinking this is going to go on for some time.

According to the news, the reason they are protesting is to raise awareness about land use issues, as well as local contamination of their soils from local saw mills. They are upset because the government has being using their land and they are not being compensated for it?

The only analogy I can use is basically, the government has told them, well you have to live here in this house and we are going to use your spare bedroom and not pay you any rent. I think all this is going to do is further develop animosity and even though they have no legal right to do this, I doubt the police are going to be enthuastic about getting involved; look at what happen in Ipperwash.

I for one cannot support this issue. I think that the First Nations of Chouchiching Reserve are going about this in the wrong way. All this is going to do is create a further division of entities between existing factions. Instead of attacking the government and politicans, they are now attacking their neighbours and putting the cost on them, when it has been the government who has been dragging their feet on this issue for some time.

[eddylives 99]

Are they nuts , time for the law men to step in and put a stop to this nonsence.......

Now exactly where will this toll charge be happening??

I for one do not want to be around this type thing , it will probably end up very bad for those that end up involved.

[eddylives 99]

Do you have a link to this story?

[Azarius 10]

Couchiching FN To Install Toll Booth

[Thefishleclair 175]

Good read!! Hope everyone all gets what they want in the end.

[tracker 61]

The tax payer paying the bills for both parties will definetly get it in the end.

[Azarius 10]

The tax payer paying the bills for both parties will definetly get it in the end.

I'm sure it'll cost $100,000 on the policing end at least...

[wampa 18]

If you refuse to pay, they are going to photograph your face and license plate and try to get you charged with trespassing under the Indian Act, although Treaty Three Police has apparently said they will not charging anyone. I for one will not be giving any more of my money to these people for use of a public highway.

[Guest D-Rock]

I wonder how many millions it would cost to extend the Noden Causway around Cooch?

I was also thinking how this toll would effect the use of their golf course? Do they want business?

This is a very bad decision and will only serve to stir up more animosity.

[Spectre 21]

Not sure how valid this is, but I have heard that if they try and stop you and force you to pay the toll you are to dial 911 or call the OPP not sure which and they will come and deal with it. Apparantly it is illegal to block a provincial highway....Should be an interesting drive to my parents house in fort frances this weekend anyways.

[Azarius 10]

Not sure how valid this is, but I have heard that if they try and stop you and force you to pay the toll you are to dial 911 or call the OPP not sure which and they will come and deal with it. Apparantly it is illegal to block a provincial highway....Should be an interesting drive to my parents house in fort frances this weekend anyways.

Do NOT call 911 or the OPP. The OPP/Treaty 3 officers will be ATS monitoring the situation... Keep calm heads and hopefully things will be resolved peacefully without any serious incidents.

[Spectre 21]

Do NOT call 911 or the OPP. The OPP/Treaty 3 officers will be ATS monitoring the situation... Keep calm heads and hopefully things will be resolved peacefully without any serious incidents.

Good point, You would think if the OPP were gonna do something they would be there and not wait for the calls to start coming in, however if they aren't there I would be giving the OPP a call, no way I'm paying the toll...Thats what 4x4 is for

[eddylives 99]

Every time the first nations starts doing things like this the government should......

Step in and start laying fines or penalties that are deducted directly from the money coming to them , evenyually it would lead to the proper channels being used instead of these terrorist tactics of civil disobedience and blockades of our public lands.

[wampa 18]

Or maybe just throw 'em 100 pennies and give 'em one of these

[Some Old Guy 968]

I have read about the concerns on the Couch reserve. They are valid concerns. Very valid concerns. The 500,000 dollars was a slap in the face to the Chief, Council and last mentioned, to the members of the Couch Reserve that was offered for the messed up survey done before 1910 for the land trade off.

The contaminated ground where there are 6 residents is also a very valid concern for the contaminates the Sawmill left behind.

The HWY concern, yes, if there was a mess up it should be dealt with by the Federal Government. I agree. What was the land value back in 1910? Or was this concern sat on for a long term investment?

The sawmill contaminants? Maybe deal with the company that left them there if they are still in business. Or if the government made statement to restoring the land back to being prestine, then the entity should look after it.

I will not pay the toll. I already paid my taxes this year.

Roger

[Snotrocket 4]

Gonna have to watch the news after I get back Tuesday to see what happens LOL. Have a nice weekend:)

[Guest drk]

One word ..... Ridiculous.

[Some Old Guy 968]

I thought that I might add that this is a demonstration to get EVERYBODY involved to bring this certain issue first and foremost.

Roger

[Guest Smack Um]

Couchiching FN To Install Toll Booth

Wow that is one heck of a long thread and bound to get longer as the days go on and on and on and............

Smack Um

[Resource Pimp 60]

Seems simple to me................not only were they there first, but they even had a "reservation" lol

[levi64 72]

I think I'm going to block the armstrong highway and charge 2 bucks a vehicle, wonder if the OPP will arrest me right away for the crime,, of which it surely is... Good thing other companies and persons don't follow suit when they have a problem. I for one am tired of the native dramatics,,give me, give me.. get with the program and pay for a lawyer like everyone else has to do...

[Guest Donny]

Are they nuts , time for the law men to step in and put a stop to this nonsence.......

Now exactly where will this toll charge be happening??

I for one do not want to be around this type thing , it will probably end up very bad for those that end up involved.

Are they nuts, maybe yes and maybe no and who knows, are they are trying to resolve their land entitlement issues by getting this type of attention from the Feds and Provincial governments while tormenting the public.

These land treaties that our forefathers signed has become a thorn on the side of governments and the taxpayers, and for some reason the Provincial and Federal Governments tend to drag these things out to no end with very few resolves.

The blockade will be at the causeway on the Fort Francis end as you get on the reserve.

As for the law, they will not do anything regarding Native road blockades besides monitoring the situation, just read up on the Caledonia fiasco in southern Ontario which went on for years over land issues and the Ipperwash disaster which ended up in tumoil with the Harris Conservatives which tried to stand up to this type of protest and ended up with one dead when the law stepped in, and lets not forget these land tittle issues which are rarely settled is at the taxpayers expenses footing the bill as usual when these blockades occur.

[Guest Donny]

The tax payer paying the bills for both parties will definetly get it in the end.

Agreed, and that what makes my blood boil.

[Guest Donny]

I'm sure it'll cost $100,000 on the policing end at least...

It will be more like $ 100,000 plus a week if it gets out of hand.

[Guest Donny]

I think I'm going to block the armstrong highway and charge 2 bucks a vehicle, wonder if the OPP will arrest me right away for the crime,, of which it surely is... Good thing other companies and persons don't follow suit when they have a problem. I for one am tired of the native dramatics,,give me, give me.. get with the program and pay for a lawyer like everyone else has to do...

Lets put it this way, if you block any road or highway and your a hard working contributing taxpayer protesting and trying to make a statement even for a short period of time, you can bet your a$$ will be hauled off that tar or gravel so fast that you would not have realized what has happened to you until your behind bars for disturbing the peace.

That's the way it is, plain and simple.