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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.