Caledonia, Ontario

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For the First Nations land dispute, see Caledonia land dispute.


The Grand River Bridge, which carries Argyle St. over the Grand River.
The Grand River Bridge, which carries Argyle St. over the Grand River.

Caledonia is one of several communities in the single-tier regional municipality of Haldimand County. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula in southern Ontario, Canada, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001.[1] The current mayor of Haldimand County (there is no formal level of government at the town level) is Marie Trainer; Caledonia is within Ward 3 of Haldimand County. The Councillor elected for Ward 3 is Craig Grice. As of September 2006, there are approximately 4,000 households in the town of Caledonia.[2]

Caledonia is located at the intersection of Highway 6 and Regional Road 54 (within the town, these streets are called Argyle Street and Caithness Street respectively) on the Grand River. On Highway 6, the town is 10 km south of Hamilton and 10 km north of Hagersville. On Regional Road 54, the town is 15 km east of Brantford, Ontario and 10 km west of Cayuga, Ontario.

It has a long and ancient Indigenous People's history. This history does not include the Six Nations until 1790s when the British granted them the land of the local mississiauga Indians.

Contents

[edit] Land dispute

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Main article: Caledonia land dispute

In early 2006, protestors from Six Nations of the Grand River and other First Nations peoples occupied a tract of land just south of the town of Caledonia, which was being developed. Six Nations took a land claim dispute to court in 1995, charging both the Federal government and the Province of Ontario of 14 different counts of transgression. The federal and provincial governments dispute these claims, but it is a long-standing issue, some of which goes back to pre-Confederation times. The land in dispute was leased, in the eyes of the Six Nations, but in the eyes of the federal and provincial governments, it was sold. The dispute flared when Henco Industries, which had bought the Douglas Creek Estates land in 1992, began building on the site-- making the ownership issue more urgent than it was before. There is much conflicting opinion between Caledonian residents as well as interested parties from other areas of the country. Six Nations have had the support of Mohawk tribes and other natives, as well as non-native parties such as the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, and the United Steelworkers. On the other side of the debate, anti-native protests have raged, attracted such proponents as Gary McHale, and the Northern Alliance, a neo-nazi organization. The government of Ontario, after many talks with the federal government and Six Nations, decided to buy the land from Henco Industries, adding on compensation for time and money already lost. Residents against the occupation were angered that the sum was undisclosed, and Six Nations was angry with the damage done to the land by starting to build on it. Caledonians against the protest view the dispute as a law and order issue. The occupation included a road blockage that inconvenienced Caledonian residents, and for a time, the Hydro was also out-- no one would admit to having sabotaged it, and there were some problems getting in to fix it. There were also CN and VIA rail blockages due to fire and other obstructions. Some Caledonians see these acts as criminal, regardless of the issues. Six Nations say that they are ignored in the absence of such actions.[from gov.on.ca, cbc.ca, and The Divided Ground, by Alan Taylor]. There was a media blackout until the Ontario Provincial Police made an attempt at raiding the land which had become an illegal protest in the eyes of Justice Marshall of the Ontario Provincial Court at Cayuga. The court injunction to leave the construction site was issued at the request of Henco Industries. OPP held a relatively neutral post after the raid failed to permanently remove native protesters from the site. Their main initiative was to keep the peace between native and anti-native protesters. Later, the courts would demand to know why the court injunction was not enforced. Some may point to other famous OPP-native conflicts as good cause to keep a distance. For a time, former Liberal MP David Peterson was appointed as an intermediary in the ongoing protests. Six Nations demanded to see a representative of Aboriginal Affairs, such as Jim Prentice. Talks between federal and provincial government officials and Six Nations representatives are ongoing, but slow.

[edit] Annual activities

  • Caledonia Fair
  • Canada Day Festival and Parade (July 1st) (Includes Stephen Young Duck Race)
  • Victoria Day Fireworks
  • Light Up Night
  • Santa Claus Parade
  • Yard Sale Day (First Saturday of June)(Started in 1994)
  • Flatbush annual parade

[edit] Attractions

The Caledonia Mill.
The Caledonia Mill.

[edit] Sports

  • Caledonia Double Arena (NEW)
  • Baseball Diamonds (2 non-school related)
  • Soccer Fields
  • Caledonia Studio of Dance CSOD
  • Grand River Gymmies
  • Hockey Team : Caledonia Corvairs
  • Minor Hockey (Boys) -- Caledonia & District Minor Hockey Association (Caledonia Thunder)
  • Minor Hockey (Girls) -- Haldimand Girls Hockey League (Haldimand River Cats)
  • Sundrim Golf Course
  • Lacrosse
  • Caledonia Skatepark

[edit] Schools

[edit] Media

[edit] Famous people

  • Tom Longboat competed in his first race here on Victoria Day, 1905, finishing second.
  • Ian Thompson Historian and Volunteer at the Old Mill
  • Barbara Martindale Historian and Extraordinary volunteer

[edit] Service clubs

[edit] References

  1. ^ Statistics Canada. Aboriginal Identity Population, 2001 Counts, for Canada and Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) With an Aboriginal Identity Population of 250-plus - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.
  2. ^ Canada Post. Canada Post. Householder Counts and Maps. Valid for mailings from August 18 to September 14, 2006. Summary for Caledonia. Canada Post. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.

Coordinates: 43°04′01″N 79°57′00″W / 43.067, -79.95

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For a full history of Caledonia, see Caledonia Website