Oka, Caledonia, Bruce Peninsula.....

Which Canadians will be next?

Lease dispute ousts cottagers TheStar.com - News - Lease dispute ousts cottagers

Families lose their Georgian Bay summer homes after deal fails with Chippewas

Roberta Avery
Toronto Star

HOPE BAY, Ont.–Caught in the middle of failed negotiations between Ottawa and the local Chippewa band, the Gibbs family packed up a lifetime of memories and locked up their cottage here on the Bruce Peninsula and drove away with heavy hearts.

"It was very emotional for all of us. We went to the cottage every summer for over 40 years, so it was a very sad moment," Stephen Gibbs said from his home in London, Ont.

The Gibbs family is one of 68 cottage families ordered abruptly in early December by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to pack their belongings and move out by Jan. 31 after the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation reclaimed the land and the cottages as part of their reserve.

The cottagers were told in a letter that buildings and other fixtures were being viewed as part of the reserve land, said Karen McCulloch, spokeswoman for Hope Bay cottagers.

The letter came with no explanation about what led to the sudden turn of events, said McCulloch, adding that the cottagers believed they had long-term leases on their lots.

What do you expect........