A bitter and bloody land dispute between Ottawa and a southwestern Ontario First Nation that culminated in the police killing of an aboriginal protester two decades ago has formally come to an end.
The federal government and the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation signed an agreement Thursday to return Camp Ipperwash, a former military base built on land appropriated in 1942, to the First Nation.
READ MORE: Ont. First Nation approves $90M compensation for Camp Ipperwash
The agreement also gives the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation $95 million “to invest in a brighter future.”
The First Nation – located along the shores of Lake Huron, 35 kilometres northeast of Sarnia, Ont. – says it plans to use the settlement funds to invest in compensation for members, community infrastructure, economic development and community healing and renewal.
READ MORE: Dudley George’s brother accidentally set ablaze during Ipperwash protest
The Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation had sought the return of the Camp Ipperwash lands since the end of the Second World War.
In 1993, some members of the First Nation began an occupation of the property and in September of 1995, protester Dudley George was shot and killed by a police officer after a splinter group of about 30 protesters occupied nearby Ipperwash Provincial Park, claiming it contained a sacred burial ground.
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