Land claim demonstration no longer blocking Pinery Provincial Park

Campers won’t have trouble getting through the gates of Pinery Provincial Park this weekend.

The entrance to the Grand Bend-area campground was blocked for around two weeks because of a land claim demonstration by a small Indigenous group, spearheaded by Maynard T. George.

A statement on the Pinery’s website, posted April 3, said an agreement had been reached between the province and those involved in the protest “that will allow discussions to continue without further impacting park operations.”

In a brief statement to 980 CFPL, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry spokesperson Jolanta Kowalksi said: “Through this agreement, Ontario and the individuals will jointly pursue historical research of the basis of the individuals’ claim to the park while continuing to have discussions.”

George had previously said he was trying to raise awareness about a claim to the land, which he said dated back to the War of 1812.

980 CFPL has also reach out to George’s legal representation for comment.