Hi Marie
Sept 1, 2006
I would like to start by thanking you for your honest and straightforward approach to the occupation in Caledonia. Your council is unbelievable...........with them around you sure don't need enemies. What happened to team work. We didn't vote politicians in for their personal interest they were entrusted with the best interest of "we the people".
Why I have written today. As Eleanor Roosevelt said once "when you feel that you are at the end of your rope - tie a knot in it and hold on like hell", well Marie my knot came undone on Wednesday. I live on the outskirts of town right against another boarder of SN and I have always (15 years) shopped in Caledonia. It is my town......I am proud of it. Since I have avoided driving past the "getto" on the south side of town for about 6 weeks I was surprised to see the graffiti, the racist signs, the libelous signs, rude signs, flags now again on the overpasses, graffiti on the roads and of course the getto. Along with this there are so many OPP that it looks like a police state. I wouldn't think of taking any of my visiting relatives or friends to Caledonia. As a matter of fact I don't even tell people that I am from Caledonia anymore............it is embarrassing.........I say I'm from the outskirts of Ancaster. This along with the report that the people at DCE are planning on staying the winter and Stewart thinks she's going to be here for a year. I can't keep a cool head when I am watching a town I love be hurt. If any of you witnessed this in your town you would feel the extent of frustration we feel. Think about that while you are partying in your backyards this long weekend and how the Caledonia citizens have to show ID to get in and out of their neighbourhood and can't sit in their backyards. You might ask why I let it bother me, well if it happened in our village I would want my fellow Canadians to help me and my family.
I can't think about this anymore. I decided yesterday that from now on I am going to go to Ancaster/Hamilton for all my needs. So off I went yesterday and it was the most pleasant experience to go to a town where there is peace, law and order and no police. The air even felt fresher. This is my request..............please pass on my apologies to the businesses in town. I feel bad but my mental and physical health is most important. When the town is once again the beautiful friendly town that it was I will be back.
One more thing I am not a "non-native" that word means nothing.............I am a Canadian and born here (6 generations) so I am a native Canadian and that is factual. The other people (DCE)don't want to be Canadians so they should be called non-Canadians. I wish the media could get that straight.
Thanks Marie.....even though I don't always agree with you on every subject one thing for sure you care more about Caledonia and it's citizens than any politician out there. The politician that can end this occupation will have a guarateed future in Caledonia.