Ipperwash Resources

On March 14, 2007 Mark Vandermaas, Gary McHale and former Ipperwash community leader Mary-Lou LaPratte released the Ipperwash Papers project at a news conference in the Queen’s Park Media Studio. The project consists of more than 400 pages of documents showing how innocent non-native residents were victimized by native protesters, and how the Inquiry suppressed the evidence of their suffering.

Since the Inquiry did not study the issue of aboriginal violence against residents during land claim disputes and, therefore, could not (and did not) make any recommendations on the subject, the use of the Inquiry’s recommendations to ‘justify’ the OPP/Ontario government’s “peace-keeping” approach to the Caledonia crisis could justifiably be described as a ‘policy fraud’ of the highest order. 

The Ipperwash Papers project has been used by investigative journalists and academics, one of whom has offered to write the introduction for a planned book on the topic. 

Reading List (in suggested order)

Other Key References

  • The Ipperwash Papers project official website: www.IpperwashPapers.ca (video/docs from Queen’s Park Media Studio news conference, March 14/07)
  • The Ipperwash Papers project: Documents Index [LINK] (victim impact stmts, maps, media articles, political correspondence, etc.)
  • VoiceofCanada feature: The Ipperwash Papers
  • CANACE report, Dec 2007: The Human Costs of Illegal Occupations  [PDF, 101p]
  • Toronto Sun, Peter Worthington, Nov 13/10: Caledonia crisis of facts [PDF]

Statements by Politicians

  • Freedom Party of Ontario leader Paul McKeever: Toronto Star, Aug 31/06: Tory stance on Caledonia crisis is ‘hypocritical’ [REPRINT]
  • Freedom Party of Ontario leader Paul McKeever: CFRB 1010, Sept 01/06: FPO Leader Paul McKeever re Caledonia [14:27, AUDIO] (McKeever is on during 1st 7 mins discussing the legal support for a Premier’s right to direct policing submitted to the Ipperwash Inquiry, then Marissa Nelson of Hamilton Spectator re fees paid to Caledonia ‘negotiators.’ Jane Stewart’s contract = $1,300/day w/max $300K for 11mos + $30K for expenses)