Overview
The Grand River land dispute, also known as the Caledonia land dispute, is an ongoing dispute between the Six Nations of the Grand River (Six Nations) and the Government of Canada. It is focused on lands along the length of the Grand River in Ontario known as the Haldimand Tract, that was granted to Indigenous allies of the British Crown in the eighteenth century to make up for territorial losses suffered during the American Revolutionary War and as a result of the Treaty of Paris (1783).
Protesters from the Six Nations of the Grand River began a demonstration on a parcel of land in Caledonia, a community within the single-tier municipality of Haldimand County, roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Hamilton.
A class action against the Ontario government ensued resulting in a settlement with the government of Ontario in the sum of $20,000,000 for class members affected by the land closures.
In 2020, the dispute has once again entered public consciousness on July 19th, 2020 with the Six Nations members occupying a construction site owned by Foxgate Developments Inc., located at 1535 McKenzie Road, renaming it 1492 Land Back Lane. With the occupation of this site of another planned subdivision in Caledonia, “McKenzie Meadows”, residents, and businesses in the area have been significantly affected. The land defenders have refused to leave despite being ordered to by an Ontario court.
On November 16th, 2020, a class action has been commenced under the Class Proceedings Act, 1992 as amended in 2020, in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Cayuga, Ontario on behalf of business and property owners damaged by the occupation at Foxgate Developments Inc. and the subsequent closure of Argyle Street and Highway 6.
The action is against the Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner Thomas Carrique, Ontario Provincial Police Chief Superintendent John Cain, Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Philip Carter, and Her Majesty the Queen in the Right of Ontario.
The Caledonia Class Action 2020 seeks to compensate those residents and businesses affected by the 2020 land occupation.