Ipperwash Crisis facts for kids

The Ipperwash Crisis was a disagreement over Indigenous land in Ipperwash Provincial Park, Ontario, in 1995. Members of the Stoney Point Ojibway community protested to get back land. This land had been taken from them by the government during World War II. During a clash, a police officer shot and killed a protester named Dudley George. This event caused a lot of discussion and change in Canadian politics.

In 2003, an official investigation, called the Ipperwash Inquiry, began. This happened after a new government was elected. A former judge, Sidney B. Linden, led the investigation. The final report was finished in 2006.

Why the Protest Started

In 1936, Ipperwash Provincial Park was created in Ontario. In 1942, during World War II, the Government of Canada wanted land from the Stoney Point Band. They wanted to use it for military training. The government offered to buy the land and promised to give it back after the war.

The Stoney Point Band said no to the offer. However, under a law called the War Measures Act, the government took the land anyway. They then built Military Camp Ipperwash. The First Nations people said the land had an important burial site. Later surveys confirmed that a burial site does exist there.

As early as 1993, some band members started to occupy parts of the camp. This was while Camp Ipperwash was still used for summer training. After 1993, the government moved the training camp. But tensions about the land remained high.

Park Occupation

On September 4, 1995, a group of people began a protest at Ipperwash Provincial Park. They wanted to highlight their land claims, which had been ignored for decades. After the park closed, protesters cut a fence and drove vehicles into the park. About 35 protesters occupied the area.

The police had a plan called Project Maple. This plan aimed for a peaceful solution and included negotiators. However, when a protester damaged a police car, the police pulled back from the park.

A local politician, Marcel Beaubien, contacted the police and the Premier's office. He wanted the government to get involved. On September 5, 1995, the Premier and other government officials met. They decided that the province would "remove the occupiers as soon as possible."

Dudley George's Death

On Wednesday, police became worried about a group of protesters outside the park. This group was said to be carrying sticks. There was also false information that the protesters had damaged a car. This rumour said they smashed a female driver's car with baseball bats, but this was later found to be untrue.

Because of safety concerns, the police decided to send in a special unit. This unit had shields and helmets. They were supported by a special police team. The police wanted to show their strength to make the protesters go back into the park.

On Wednesday evening, police units marched towards the protesters. The protesters first moved back, and the police also retreated. One protester, Cecil Bernard George, approached the police. He was arrested. Other protesters tried to help him, and this led to a riot.

A car and a school bus driven by protesters came out of the park. Police officers said there was gunfire from these vehicles. However, First Nations protesters said they had no weapons that night. The police teams fired at the vehicles. This resulted in two protesters being hurt and the death of Dudley George. Dudley George was an Ojibwa protester. An officer named Ken Deane fired three shots at Dudley George, who was hit and badly injured.

Dudley George's sister and brother tried to take him to the hospital. But the police arrested them and delayed them for over an hour. Dudley George was declared dead on September 7, 1995, at a nearby hospital.

What Happened Next

The Official Investigation

Dudley George's family kept asking the government for an investigation into what happened. A public investigation was finally started on November 12, 2003. This happened after the government changed.

The investigation was paid for by the Ontario government. It was led by a neutral person, Sidney B. Linden, who was a commissioner. The goal was to find out what happened around Dudley George's death. The investigation also aimed to suggest ways to avoid violence in similar situations in the future. It was not a court trial.

During the investigation, a 17-minute tape recording was found. It showed a conversation between police officers before George's death. They talked about the Premier's view that the government had "tried to pacify and pander to these people far too long." The Premier wanted "swift affirmative action" to remove them from the park.

Other people who spoke at the investigation also made the government look bad. For example, a former aide to Premier Harris said "I don't recall" many times.

The investigation hearings ended in June 2006. Justice Linden's final report was released on May 31, 2007.

Land Returned

On December 20, 2007, the Ontario government announced it would return Ipperwash Provincial Park. The land would go back to its original owners, the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. For a while, the land was managed together by the province and the Chippewas.

On May 28, 2009, the Ontario Aboriginal Affairs Minister officially signed over control of Ipperwash Park.

The full agreement was completed on April 14, 2016. Along with a payment of $95 million, the land was officially given to the Kettle and Stoney Point First Nation.

See also

• One Dead Indian
• Oka Crisis
• Burnt Church Crisis
• Gustafsen Lake standoff
• Caledonia Land Dispute