BRANTFORD -- Brantford residents and members of Six Nations protested the City of Brantford’s sale of Arrowdale Public Golf Course on Saturday.
City Council voted to sell most of the 32 acre property, and convert 17 acres of reserved space into a public park.
The plan will bring $14 million in property taxes, with proceeds being used for affordable housing.
Local resident Mark Dremak says the sale doesn’t meet the needs of the community.
“This is not about trying to hold onto some park space,” Dremak said. “This is about holding onto the fourth largest greenspace in Brantford and to maintain a municipal golf course that has full utilization.”
Protesters say there are no available memberships at other golf courses in Brantford.
Members of Six Nations say the land belongs to them since it’s located within six miles of the Grand River.
“As of today, this is [Six Nations] land, this is under land claim,” Trevor Riley Bomberry, from Six Nations said. “They can’t sell this. They never consulted anybody. They’re doing it backdoor.”
Members of Six Nations broke through the property fence and threatened to confiscate any equipment being used to destroy the land.
They added that the deal was made without consulting Six Nations and they want to preserve the space for future generations.
