Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Haldimand "Monthly Marches to Continue"

Flag flap continues
Monthly marches planned
Posted By DONNA PITCHER , CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
Posted 16 hours ago


Escorted by the OPP, Merlyn Kinrade of Caledonia and about two dozen demonstrators peacefully marched down the shoulder of Argyle Street past Douglas Creek Estates (DCE) last Saturday.

The march the Caledonia Lions Hall before the group drove to the OPP station in Cayuga where they presented speeches and hung posters.

Merlyn Kinrade is the Caledonia Liaison for the Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality (CANACE) and was the organizer of last Saturday's march. The march was held in support of Randy Fleming who the group contends was "illegally arrested for carrying a Canadian Flag while he walked down Argyle St. past DCE". DCE has been at the centre of controversy ever since it was claimed as native territory by Six Nations citizens in 2006.

CANACE had requested that Mayor Trainer and Councillor Craig Grice of Haldimand County Council, Haldimand/Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett and Haldimand/Norfolk MP Diane Finley march in support of residents who they (CANACE) feel have been the victims of race based policing. They did not attend.

The group gathered at the OPP station in Cayuga for a few speeches. Two posters of Randy Fleming were erected. According to the organizers these photos showed the "excessive force that was used against Fleming during his arrest". The poster read, "Warning. OPP Racist Policies Enforced."

"We are at the end of the beginning," said Mark Vandermaas, who is the advisor for CANACE. Vandermaas spoke to the group about the recent news coverage they have received. "We haven't had this much media since we were arrested. We are still going to hang flags, at every pole across from DCE."

"My brother got manhandled walking down the street," said Doug Fleming during the speeches. Fleming also spoke to the group about the forming of the "Caledonia Militia" and the meeting schedule for Tuesday June 23. Fleming said using the word "militia" was meant to touch a nerve, and it did. As far as he is concerned, "We preformed a community service today, and we will work within the law; we have enough outlaws now."

According to Kinrade CANACE will keep marching, "Until we get resolution to the madness in Caledonia." His plans are to march once a month.

http://www.dunnvillechronicle.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1626669

When I sent my story to the editor I sent him the one that was not quite complete, so here is the rest of the story;

“The march by a few residents and non residents was completed without incident and the OPP are happy for that” said Inspector Dave Maclean, Haldimand OPP detachment. “The organizers of this march and those marches they plan to continue into the summer, really need to look at their objectives and what they hope the end result will be before they disrupt this beautiful community any further. As well as draw costly police and emergency resources away from serving the entire county”. This sort of activity will not resolve the land claim issue or any of the associated activity.

Maclean is of the opinion that all it does is increase tensions and frustrations locally and affects the majority of people in both communities who want to carry on with their day to day lives, and who hope this gets resolved by those who have the ability to do so.

Haldimand County Mayer Marie Trainer declined the invitation to Saturday’s march with CANACE. Trainer said in a telephone interview with the Chronicle Monday morning “I just don’t think that it is quite appropriate for me to march with them”. As far as the “militia” Trainer said this was made out of frustration and she would make a final decision as to where she stands on this issue when she sees what their actions are. Trainer will not be attending the militia meeting in Cayuga on Tuesday night. “You don’t know what is going to happen,” said Trainer.

14 comments:

  1. Randy Fleming was arrested for trying to provoke a confrontation with the Mohawk protestors. If he was manhandled, I suspect it was his own fault. Fleming's Fusiliers aka the Caledonia Milita give their collective heads a shake, because their actions are not helping calm matter - though I suspect calming things down is not what they are about.

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  2. Hwere's what Commissioner Fantino has to say in the National Post today.
    --
    "The days of vigilantism are long gone in this country," Commissioner Fantino said yesterday. "That group had better seek good and adequate legal counsel because, if they exercise what they think is their right and their authority, they better be prepared to defend themselves, as we always have, and justify what they do."

    http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=1731269

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  3. Merlyn Kinrade should hang his head in shame for using Canada's flag as a shield and cover for his hateful and spiteful actions. He's a bitter old man who will stop at nothing to persecute natives. Doug Fleming is no better and has lost whatever respect he had in town. They both need to seriously grow up.

    As far as the outsiders (Vandermaaas, Parkinson, McHale) that are attempting to capitalize off the issues, I find it abhorant.

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  4. Kinrade and Vandermaas should both hold their heads in shame for using the symbol of the U.N. (the blue beret) to promote their cause. I'm sure there must be some sort of legal issue concerning their misuse.

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  5. I agree about the Blue Beret thing mentioned about. Yes, that's shameful also. They both appear to be severely hateful people, especially Merlyn Kinrade. He must sit and brood all day and only gets happy when something happens so he can run all over town like the town fool and say "See? Look at those savages! They are ruining my life!" (all the time, being delirious with joy that he can bash natives one more day) The sooner that old man shuts his trap, the better off Caledonia will be. That gos the samefor Trainer,Vandermaas, McHale and the Flemings. (and about a dozen others I won't bother naming)

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  6. Trainer needs to take a stand, not a wait and see attitude. This council will never collectively stand behind the residents. This is something we all need to remember come 2010!

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  7. Thanks for your comments everyone.

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  8. The bigger question is why does Trainer seem paralyzed when the issue of McHale or his group comes up all the time? It's remarkable really. Has she said things to them that she fears will be leaked out if she denounces that group and any plans they have? It almost appears to the casual observor that she's beholding to them for some reason or another. Am I wrong?

    She has got to take the prize for worst Mayor in Canada. I've never seen anything like it really.

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  9. And whose to say a couple of bus loads of Anti-Flag hoisting protester won't show up like they did during the founding meeting of the "Caledonia Peacekeepers" in Cayuga, who used to call themselves a "Militia" until that turned into a public relations disaster, thanks to the media attention.

    Sunlight is the best disinfectant for this type of folly, by golly!

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  10. You may well ask: “Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.

    The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation…

    Martin Luther King, April 16, 1963: Letter from Birmingham Jail

    -----------------------

    You can read his whole letter here:
    http://voiceofcanada.wordpress.com/provoking-violence/

    Mark Vandermaas, Editor
    VoiceofCanada.ca

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  11. "The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation."



    So, this is your plan Vandermaas? Is this what you're saying? You want to create a crisis-packed situation on Caledonia ? Well sir, thanks for admitting that if this is what you are inferring. The citizens of Caledonia and Haldimand needed to know your under-lying motives here.

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  12. Meanwhile, all the usual suspects have nothing to sat about their experiences in Picton, Ontario recently. Gee, I wonder why that is? When you have been hoist on your own Petard, what more can be said? Their collective silence is deafening.

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  13. "The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation."

    WHAT IF YOU ARE WRONG? I fail to see the skills of critical reflection and you seem mired in the us vs them dichotomy!

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  14. Seems the Dunville Chronicle has seen fit to fire one across the bow respecting McHale's shenanigans in Cayuga. Ouch!
    --
    Craving attention

    So how much obligation does a newspaper have to provide coverage to someone who admittedly engages in acts simply to garner attention?

    This is the question facing Haldimand newspapers in the wake of last week's dog and pony show in Cayuga.

    In the days leading up to last Tuesday evening, Doug Fleming was asking people to come to a meeting where he would form a militia aimed at removing trespassers from properties in Caledonia. Specifically he wanted to target Six Nations residents who have been embroiled in land occupations in the area.

    And then hours before the meeting Gary McHale distributed a press release saying, "At no time was Doug Fleming's new group going to be called 'Caledonia Militia'. It should be apparent to everyone that the word 'militia' was used to get media attention. It is unfortunate in Canada that media will not cover a story unless you use such a word..."

    In no uncertain terms he was saying the whole thing was a publicity stunt.

    http://www.dunnvillechronicle.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1636746

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