May 25, 2009
The Hamilton Spectator
CALEDONIA (May 25, 2009)
A man was subdued by police during an attempt by a Caledonia group to raise the Canadian flag across from Douglas Creek Estates yesterday.
Neil Dring, editor of the Grand River Sachem, a local paper, said about 25 people attempted to march from the Lions Hall to a hydro pole across from the site of protest where about 40 First Nations people had gathered.
Dring said about 40 Ontario Provincial Police officers were on hand to discourage Canadian Advocates for Charter Equality (CANACE), led by Merlyn Kinrade. The group wanted to "symbolically" demonstrate that the town is still subjected to what they called two-tier justice.
"The natives were very upset," Dring said. "They said it was inciteful and they would never raise their flag in downtown Caledonia."
During the march, a yard sale was held at the home of Dana Chatwell and Dave Brown, whose home is next to Douglas Creek Estates.
Dring said a man attending the yard sale ran onto the Douglas Creek site with a Canadian flag when OPP officers ran to subdue him. He was not apparently connected to CANACE.
Other than that, the event went almost unnoticed, according to Dring.
The OPP could not be reached for comment.