OTTAWA — A regional chief for Anishinabek Nation says he briefed Ontario Provincial Police yesterday on what to expect when First Nations take to the streets to protest provincial and federal legislation aimed at fast-tracking major projects.
Scott McLeod says he was invited by an Indigenous relations coordinator to brief officers at the OPP’s Orillia headquarters on why First Nations oppose the legislation and why they see the bills as a violation of treaties with the Crown.
McLeod says “shutting down the economy of Ontario is not off the table” and that if police want to “avoid another Dudley George,” they need to understand First Nations’ position.
George was shot and killed during the Ipperwash crisis of 1995, when members of the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation and their supporters occupied a provincial park built on land appropriated from the First Nation in 1942.
McLeod says he told the police that First Nations are abiding by their own laws while governments are breaking their treaty obligations.
The Ontario Provincial Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2025.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
