THE IPPERWASH INQUIRY WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS OF THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL D. HARRIS FASKEN MARTINEAU DUMOULIN LLP Peter A. Downard, C. William Hourigan and Jennifer L. McAleer Counsel to the Honourable Michael D. Harris - 2 - TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. OVERVIEW AND INTRODUCTION ....................................11 1.01 OVERVIEW........................................................................................ 11 1.02 THE SCOPE OF THESE SUBMISSIONS ............................................... 15 1.03 SUBMISSIONS AS TO CREDIBILITY ................................................... 15 2. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT...........................................16 2.01 FOUNDATIONS: THE ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1763 AND THE TREATY OF NIAGARA ......................................... 16 2.02 THE SELLING OF THE LAND............................................................. 19 2.03 ‘CIVILIZATION’................................................................................ 20 2.04 THE RIVER AUX SABLE INDIANS ..................................................... 21 2.05 THE KETTLE & STONY POINT FIRST NATION ................................ 22 2.06 THE 1927 PURCHASE OF KETTLE POINT SHORELINE .................... 23 2.07 THE 1928 PURCHASE OF STONY POINT SHORELINE....................... 24 2.08 THE 1936 PURCHASE OF LAND FOR IPPERWASH PROVINCIAL PARK ........................................................................... 25 2.09 THE 1942 FEDERAL APPROPRIATION OF STONY POINT................. 25 3. THE 1993 OCCUPATION OF THE RANGES ......................29 3.01 THE OCCUPATION OF THE RANGES................................................. 29 3.02 THE KETTLE & STONY POINT RESPONSE....................................... 31 3.03 THE OPP RESPONSE ........................................................................ 34 - 3 - (1) OPP POLICY ON OCCUPATIONS ....................................................34 (2) OPP COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE OCCUPIERS ......................34 (3) OPP COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE MILITARY.........................35 3.04 IPPERWASH PROVINCIAL PARK....................................................... 37 (1) RELATIONSHIP WITH LOCAL FIRST NATION PRE-1993....... 37 (2) RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARK AND LOCAL OPP .............. 38 (3) OCCUPIERS’ ASSERTIONS ABOUT THE PARK ....................... 38 (4) MAY 19 CO-MANAGEMENT LETTER .................................... 39 3.05 PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE ....................................... 41 (1) MINISTERIAL BRIEFING ........................................................ 41 (2) INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON ABORIGINAL EMERGENCIES ................................................. 42 (I) THE MAY 21, 1993 IMC MEETING............................................42 (II) THE MAY 25, 1993 IMC MEETING............................................44 (III) THE MAY 27, 1993 IMC MEETING............................................45 (IV) THE JUNE 4, 1993 IMC MEETING .............................................45 (V) THE JUNE 25, 1993 IMC MEETING ...........................................47 3.06 SUMMER OF 1993 ............................................................................. 48 (1) TENSIONS AT THE MILITARY BASE....................................... 48 (2) HELICOPTER SHOOTING........................................................ 49 (3) INCIDENTS AT IPPERWASH PROVINCIAL PARK .................... 50 - 4 - (4) OCCUPIERS’ RELATIONS WITH KSP AND LOCAL COMMUNITY.............................................................. 51 3.07 FALL OF 1993 ................................................................................... 52 (1) MARCH TO OTTAWA............................................................. 52 (2) RELATIONS BETWEEN MILITARY AND OCCUPIERS .............. 52 3.08 1994: THE DECISION TO RETURN CFB IPPERWASH...................... 54 (1) ANNOUNCEMENT TO RETURN CFB IPPERWASH .................. 54 (2) NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE RETURN OF CFB IPPERWASH ...... 54 (3) TENSIONS AMONG OCCUPIERS ............................................. 55 (4) RELATIONS BETWEEN OCCUPIERS AND MILLITARY............ 55 (5) IMPACT ON PARK OPERATIONS ............................................ 56 17. TAKING BY FORCE I: THE TAKING OF THE BUA AT CFB IPPERWASH .................................57 4.01 AN INCREASE IN TENSION................................................................ 57 (1) FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FRUSTRATION ........................ 58 (2) CAPTAIN SMITH’S ARRIVAL AT CFB IPPERWASH ............... 60 (3) ATTEMPTS TO DE-ESCALATE................................................ 61 (4) CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAINING ...................................... 62 (5) ATTEMPTS TO COMMUNICATE.............................................. 64 4.02 THE TAKING OF THE BUA............................................................... 66 5. PREPARING FOR A TAKEOVER OF THE PARK ................73 - 5 - 5.01 INITIAL OPP CONCERNS ................................................................. 73 5.02 KSP POSITION.................................................................................. 76 5.03 THE RESPONSE AT QUEEN’S PARK.................................................. 79 (1) THE INTERMINISTERIAL COMMITTEE FOR ABORIGINAL EMERGENCIES ....................................................................... 79 (2) RON FOX AND THE IMC........................................................ 81 (3) INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL TAKEOVER.................... 83 (4) THE AUGUST 2 IMC MEETING ............................................. 87 (5) AFTERMATH OF IMC MEETING ............................................ 91 5.04 MARCEL BEAUBIEN ......................................................................... 93 5.05 THE OPP ........................................................................................ 101 (1) THE MONTH OF AUGUST..................................................... 101 (2) THE AUGUST 29 OPP PLANNING MEETING ....................... 104 (3) THE SEPTEMBER 1 OPP PLANNING MEETING ................... 106 6. TAKING BY FORCE II: THE TAKING OF THE PARK ....114 6.01 IPPERWASH PROVINCIAL PARK..................................................... 114 6.02 THE LATE AFTERNOON CONFRONTATION ................................... 115 6.03 THE DECISION TO TAKE THE PARK .............................................. 118 6.04 THE ENTRY INTO THE PARK.......................................................... 121 6.05 RODERICK GEORGE CONFRONTS THE OPP ................................. 123 6.06 THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 4 ........................................................ 125 - 6 - 6.07 ATTEMPTING SERVICE................................................................... 129 7. SEPTEMBER 5 ................................................................131 7.01 CONTAINMENT ............................................................................... 131 7.02 CHIEF BRESSETTE’S VIEW ............................................................ 131 7.03 WADE LACROIX AND MARCEL BEAUBIEN ................................... 133 7.04 THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES............................................................. 136 7.05 THE QUESTION OF A BURIAL GROUND ......................................... 137 7.06 MANAGING THE OCCUPATION....................................................... 138 7.07 INSPECTOR CARSON AND SUPERINTENDENT PARKIN................... 140 7.08 THE PROSPECT OF AN INJUNCTION ............................................... 145 7.09 ATTEMPTING DIALOGUE ............................................................... 147 8. THE OCCUPATION AND THE GOVERNMENT: SEPTEMBER 5.....................................151 8.01 THE SEPTEMBER 5 IMC MEETING ............................................... 151 (1) UPDATE FROM THE SCENE .................................................. 151 (2) THE GOVERNMENT’S POSITION.......................................... 157 (3) THE LEGAL OPTIONS .......................................................... 161 (4) COMMUNICATION WITH THE OCCUPIERS........................... 165 (5) THE CONSENSUS OF THE MEETING..................................... 167 (6) THE PRESENCE OF POLITICAL STAFF................................. 168 8.02 RON FOX’S CALL TO JOHN CARSON ............................................. 170 - 7 - 8.03 GOVERNMENTS’ MESSAGES TO THE PUBLIC ................................ 177 (1) THE TOWN OF BOSANQUET................................................. 177 (2) ONTARIO .............................................................................. 177 8.04 MARCEL BEAUBIEN AND BILL KING ............................................. 181 9. THE AFTERNOON OF SEPTEMBER 5.............................185 9.01 ATTEMPTING TO INITIATE DIALOGUE .......................................... 185 9.02 “WE NEEDED AN INJUNCTION”..................................................... 186 9.03 CARSON AND LACROIX.................................................................. 191 10. THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 5...................................196 10.01 THE CURRENT STATUS .................................................................. 196 10.02 OPTIONS FOR DIALOGUE ............................................................... 197 10.03 “HEAT FROM POLITICAL SIDE” .................................................... 198 10.04 OPTIONS IN THE EVENT OF AN INJUNCTION.................................. 199 10.05 THE PICNIC TABLE INCIDENT ....................................................... 201 11. THE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 6...........................................202 11.01 THE GUNFIRE AND THE