Garden River chief meets with disgruntled band members over payout concerns
Some members of the Garden River First Nation are demanding answers regarding the disbursement of the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement funds.
Those who gathered for a peaceful demonstration Wednesday morning said the chief and band council have not been communicating effectively and that the membership is not being properly consulted.
Word from Garden River leadership that members would not be receiving a 100 per cent individual payouts from the settlement drew a small group of demonstrators to the band office.
Some took issue with the decision against a full payout, while others are concerned about a lack of communication from chief and council.
“When the traditional chiefs signed the treaty, that money was meant for us individually on this reserve,” said Elder Barb Nolan.
“This money here, this is for us for back pay of all of our descendants,” added Daniel Leblanc.
“People want to know when, and people want to know how much,” said Cindy Belleau-Jones.
Some members of the Garden River First Nation are demanding answers regarding the disbursement of the Robinson-Huron Treaty settlement funds. (Photo from video)
“That’s the bottom line.”
“I think if we could get the chief and council to provide some opportunities for band members to actually engage face-to-face, we wouldn’t need to have to get other people here standing outside,” said John Syrette.
It appears the band members will get that chance as Chief Karen Bell made an appearance at the demonstration and told those in attendance that a public meeting could take place as early as May 1.
Bell also said it will be late July or early August before the settlement money is distributed, leaving plenty of time for consultation.
“May, June, July, we’re going to do lots of engagement with people, we’re going to ask people’s input,” Bell told the crowd.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
VIA Rail service delayed for hours due to suspicious package investigation in Kingston, Ont.
VIA Rail service resumed in the Kingston, Ont. area late Saturday afternoon, after a suspicious package investigation halted train service for more than four hours over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.