"Onondaga Concerned Over"

Onondaga Township officials want to meet with Transportation Minister Ed Philip to air concerns about a $445,000 payment to the Six Nations band council for use of land along a provincial highway.

Mr. Philip signed an agreement with the council last week for use of a portion of the two path lands along Highway 54, which are the subject of a land claim not yet settled.

Though the agreement was signed "without prejudice" to resolution of the land claim, Onondaga Township Reeve Mabel Dougherty has her doubts.

"They (the ministry) can decide to pay rent on the land without prejudice to the claim, but a court may not look at it that way," she told county council on Wednesday.

The reeve is worried about what the band council may do with the provincial money.

She has read reports that the band will use it to purchase more land, and that has her concerned.

"The last time the Six Nations received a large sum of money for land claims dating back to the 1800s they used it to purchase land in the Township of Onondaga," she said.

"They purchased it at a much higher price than area farmers were willing to pay, and it inflated the value of the land and we lost some of our assessment."

Reeve Dougherty is worried the band council will buy more land in Onondaga, resulting in the loss of even more assessment.

The township is helpless to prevent such a purchase because it would have to go into debt to purchase any properties that became available, she said.

There is also concern about whether or not the agreement will affect people living in the immediate vicinity of land covered by the agreement.

The reeve wants to know if property to which Onondaga Township residents hold deeds is included in the agreement, which gives the province access to about six hectares of land along Highway 54.

The Transportation Ministry has plans to improve the highway this summer.