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Community feedback negative on brewery project By Donna Duric, Writer Community members have expressed concern on everything from addictions to impaired driving deaths if Six Nations Band Council gets enough votes in favour of alcohol regulations that would pave the way for a beer brewery on the territory. Less than 20 community members turned out for a meeting at Polytech Monday night but the ones who did show up were vehemently against the proposed brewery. The brewery is contingent on community members voting in favour of an alcohol law in a referendum on Jan. 17 that would permit the sale, manufacture and distribution of alcohol on the territory. But so far, comments at public meetings don't seem to be supportive of the brewery idea. Community member Jan Longboat said, "I'm totally, totally against a brewery. I'm really concerned because if all economic development can think for Six Nations is a brewery and cigarettes and shysters, then maybe we better change our name to 'Sick Nations' instead of 'Six Nations.'" Longboat brought up a 2009 lawsuit between well known brewer Jim Brickman and his former company, Brick Brew­ing Ltd., calling him a "shyster" because of his former legal trouble. Brickman, through his company IPA Enterprises, is partnering with Six Nations band council to launch a brewery here after a chance meeting with Six Nations Economic Development Director Matt Jamieson a few years ago. But Longboat said Six Nations has been burned in the past during economic development deals that have gone badly for the community. "We don't need another shyster in this community," said Longboat. "Anybody wants to see what Mr. Brickman has done, it's not good. But Brickman defended himself, taking offence to being called a shyster. "I am very well thought of in Kitchener," he said. Brickman is known for launching Ontario's first craft brewery in Waterloo in 1984, then he went on to build Brick Brewing into one of the (Continued on page 8)