The red hot summer of 2010

June 23, 2010

By Jeff Parkinson

Attacks on Ontario infrastructure are escalating quickly this month, and from the sounds of things it’s going to get much worse before it gets any better. We bowed down quickly to threats of blockades if Natives were not made exempt from the HST that will increase the cost of living for the rest of us by 8% on July 1^st, but giving in to them seems to have fuelled the desire of some to wreak havoc on innocent people.

A group of Natives decided to shut down highway 403 last weekend where it meets the Lincoln Alexander Parkway in Hamilton, so the OPP and Hamilton Police shut down the highway so that this little group of malcontents could “march peacefully” on a major highway. Never mind the impact on countless thousands of people trying to go about their business on the fathers day weekend, some Natives wanted to walk on the freeway, so the cops helped them do it.

Natives block rail line over HST

June 21, 2010

By Jeff Parkinson

According to Native media,and the Sault Star,members of the Batchewana First Nation in Sault Ste Marie Ontario have blocked the rail line that runs from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury in protest of the HST today.

Attacking infrastructure like this is something Natives have been threatening to do over the HST for awhile, but the Canadian government caved to their threats last week and announced that they will be exempted beginning September 1^st 2010.

Being given what they want is apparently not good enough for those who are clearly bent on wreaking havoc so they blocked the Northern Ontario line anyway.

According to the Turtle Island News “Batchewana Chief Dean Sayers says there’s no reason the exemption can’t take effect July 1.” Cry us a river over having to pay your share for 2 months you big baby.

The sweetheart deal that Ontario natives got by making threats over the hst is already having a ripple effect as natives in BC are now crying that they want the same deal. Currently only Ontario exempts natives from the pst on off reserve purchases, but since Ontario caved to threats and asked Ottawa to exempt natives here, the idea is spreading to other provinces.

This news comes in the shadow of a “red power” group announcing their intention to shut down the 400 or 403, and the Trans Canada Highway on Thursday June 24 2010 to protest world leaders meeting in Canada for the G20 summit, and just one day after Natives were allowed by the OPP to close down highway 403 at the Lincoln Alexander Parkway in Hamilton to “march peacefully” for 4 hours.

UPDATE: June 23 2010, The blockade has been removed for the time being, so there’s another pathetic attention grabbing stunt in the can. For much more on this story, and lots more whining from Natives about having to very briefly pay the same share as the rest of us, see a Sault Star article here

Also see this CBC story on BC Natives demanding an exemption.