These Caldwell First Nation members installed home security cameras. Now, they're being evicted
CBC
Maryanne Kenny's father passed away when she was four, without ever knowing he was part of Caldwell First Nation. It was a journey to make the reserve her home.
But now, she is among the eight residents who are being evicted on Boxing Day for installing security cameras around their houses.
"This is our home. We have a right to be here, not to be kicked out by a reigning chief and council," she said.
A long history of colonization stripped Caldwell First Nation of its lands, which stretch from the mouth of the Detroit River to Long Point, along the northern shore of Lake Erie.
After petitioning the federal government and filing multiple formal land claim settlements, the First Nation finally received $105 million from a settled claim in 2011. It used the money to acquire 80 hectares of land in Leamington, Ont., which was officially designated a reserve in 2020, meaning members can have a permanent home on the ancestral lands.
Kenny moved into the reserve this year and her security camera went up on Sept. 9. Soon after, others followed.
The tenants being evicted told CBC they had verbal permission to install cameras.
Caldwell First Nation did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Kenny says other tenants complained about their cameras and within a couple of days, they were issued a notice to remove the cameras on the grounds of "structural damage" from installation. The group spoke about the issue at a housing meeting but no resolution came through.
The group retained a lawyer to represent them and received a second notice, now citing concerns about privacy.
"We've never seen any complaints. We never heard anybody verbally complain to us about it. What are we supposed to believe?," another resident, Douglas Heil, asked.
The group said they sought permission from the project manager who told them "it's not going to hurt anything," to have the cameras.
"There's no paperwork to back anything up," said Heil. He says that while there are stipulations about satellite dishes, "it doesn't say anything about cameras."
Eventually, the residents were given an eviction notice, telling them to either remove the cameras or vacate on Dec. 26.
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