The counter suits are flying fast and furious between Ottawa and the Chippewas of Nawash over the cottage dispute at Hope Bay.
In response to the Bruce Peninsula cottagers’ 50 million dollar lawsuit against the First Nation and Indian Affairs… the Cape Croker aboriginal community is now filing its own suit against Ottawa calling the cottages an environmental liability.
The 60 million dollar claim asks Ottawa to replace faulty septic systems and pay for environmental damage and shoreline repairs.
However the feds say, should the courts side with the cottagers, any repairs needed should be done by the Chippewas.
While the legal documents continue to fly….cottage spokesperson Karen McCulloch says they feel caught in the middle but stand by their original claim that they were not given proper notice that their property leases were about to expire.
McCullogh says the accusations by the Chippewas of Nawash are shocking.
She says at no time while they were at Hope Bay did anyone express concerns over the supposed disrepair or environmental concerns with the cottages.
Meanwhile Indian Affairs, in its court documents, argues the cottagers were given plenty of notice that the leases might not be renewed and had plenty of time to remove their belongings.
The cottagers have been denied access to their Hope Bay properties since December 2006 and McCulloch says as we head into the first long weekend of the season…all they have left are their memories.
