The costs keep mounting for Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory's contested police building, but the band council plans to forge ahead, the chief says.
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Chief R. Donald Maracle told The Intelligencer the council held a special meeting Tuesday, and voted to continue with the project.
"Council has made a decision to proceed with the building," he said.
He would not speculate on when the building may be installed, but said the band will make an official statement in the coming days to announce where the plan stands.
Installation has been hampered repeatedly since late September.
The site, where a new modular police building was to be erected last month, has been the subject of protests and, recently, police in the territory discovered vandals had poured mixed cement into sewage and water pipes on the site.
It could cost up to $15,000 to repair the damage, Maracle said.
"It's a senseless act of vandalism that is only hurting the whole community," he said.
Band officials were hoping to install the building two weeks ago, but protesters blocked the entrance to the York Road site on Sept. 25.
They said band council did not hold enough public consultation on the $1.9-million project.
They said the money should have been spent to improve water quality and social housing needs in the territory.
Maracle, who disagrees with those charges, said for every day the erection of the building is delayed, the band is being charged money.
The building is currently being stored at NRB, a modular building company in Grimsby, Ont.
"It's costing money for storage," Maracle said.
The new building is intended to allow Tyendinaga Mohawk Police Services to expand from eight to 11 officers.