McKenzie Meadows housing development in Caledonia cancelled
Plans for the McKenzie Meadows housing development, a site otherwise known by protestors as 1492 Land Back Lane, have been cancelled.
On Friday, Losani Homes told CTV News they delivered notices earlier this week to home buyers saying the sales had been “frustrated” by the continued occupation of the lands.
Protestors have been occupying 1492 Land Back Lane since July of last year and argue it is an unceded part of the Six Nations territory.
Losani Homes says the occupation shows no signs of ending despite court orders. They also claim various levels of government have not responded to their requests for help.
Homes will no longer be built on the site, the agreements have been terminated, and buyers will get their deposits back.
The developer adds that there are still several legal proceedings ahead.
"This is an absolute win for us that our children and grandchildren are going to be able to have some space to be able to grow and thrive as a community," said Skyler Williams, a spokesperson for 1492 Land Back Lane.
"When we talk about residential schools and when we talk about missing and murdered Indigenous women and when we talk about the 60s scoop, like this is what we're talking about," Williams continued. "It all ties back to land, because for us we want to be able to invite those sisters and brothers home that have been dispossessed of these lands and that have been stolen away from our communities."
Losani Homes declined our request for an interview. Asked in an email if the recent findings of unmarked graves at residential school sites across Canada impacted the decision to cancel the project, the developer's legal representative responded "not at all."
The email continues in part: "Currently our nations are in mourning and the frustration of McKenzie sale agreements should not detract from that."
After conflict and tension at the site over the past year, it was a much calmer scene at the encampment on Friday afternoon following Losani Homes' announcement.
"Our people are going to be able to use these lands in whatever way they see fit for the foreseeable future," Williams said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.