"After Six Years of Wrangling, New Credit Reserve has Expanded into the 59-Acre Area Shown in Red"

NEW CREDIT - The New Credit reserve is officially 59 acres larger.

Late in June, the federal Privy Council approved the addition of a plot of land to the New Credit reserve.

The land purchased in 1988 for $50,000 fronts on Highway 6, north of Hagersville.

It brings the reserve's size to 6,059 acres.

Because it's on the highway, it seemed to have the best commercial and industrial potential, said Caroline King, a New Credit staff who worked to add the land to the reserve.

One industry, Hermoff Manufacturing, recently moved to the site.

The company long made hospital beds and car parts at a plant in the centre of the reserve.

Moving will reduce the amount of heavy truck traffic on New Credit roads, King said.

Discussions have begun with other developers hoping to use the land and there are plans for a plaza.

At first, the federal government rejected New Credit's application to add the 59 acres to the reserve.

The band looked at developing the property as part of the Town of Haldimand.

But such a move would require rezoning which New Credit soon realized Haldimand was not likely to do.

In fact, Haldimand recently issued a stop work order against construction of Hermoff Manufacturing's building because it did not have a Haldimand building permit.

But the order didn't stop construction.

"If we had adhered to the stop work order, we would have been giving up our sovereignty," King said.

New Credit Chief Coun. Larry Sault won't rule out more land purchases to expand the reserve.

It has been a lot of work for 59 acres of land, admitted King and Sault, but they don't rule out more land purchases.

"We know how to do it now," he said.

However, Sault said band council would like to foster better relations with its neighbors.

New Credit isn't the only reserve that is expanding. Six Nations has purchased more than 200 acres in Onondaga Township in the last year.

The land has not yet been officially added to the reserve.