After many years of negotiating with the Tsuu T’ina first nation and the resulting vote to turn down the proposed ring road route through their land, their chief is threatening to sue the government if the alternate route we are going forward with blocks access to their new casino.Even funnier, the chief is mad that the City let the media see the content of the threat.
Suddenly, I have this tremendous urge to go ‘neener neener!’
But seriously, I have a message to the chief: Dude….. sorry… your chiefness, you might have done better to explain to your nation that by voting down the proposed ring road route through your land, you would be forcing the City to explore alternatives and one of those alternatives has a high probability of blocking access to your precious casino. But that consequence didn’t sink in. So there you have it. Pretty much every legal eagle watching the case agrees that the risk of any lawsuit from your nation is pointless anyway, because the government negotiated in good faith for many years only to be burned.
Just imagine how awesome it could have been if you not only agreed to the ring road proposal, but if you also had the foresight to build the casino somewhere that would allow access no matter which ring road route was chosen……
5 comments:
We live in a democratic capitalist free market society.
We also live in a city which more the 40 years ago knew they would need this road, but chose not to set aside the land assuming that they would get it from the Nation.
We have a First Nation that was offered a "fair" deal for the land needed for the road but they reviewed the deal and then voted against it.
We now have Calgarians, reporters and politicians hurling insults and threats at these people for rejecting the deal.
WTF?
Even if the deal was a great one, and I don't think it was, in our society that is their right and they should be free to vote on the use of their land without fear of negative consequences. Calgarians have such a ridiculous sense of entitlement when it come to their cars that they lose all their other senses.
Answer me this, would you tolerate this kind of behaviour from someone who's offer you rejected on a home sale?
I see your point. I agree with the planning error. I agree with our car-centric attitude. Not much we can do about that in the current political climate.
It could also be said that the nation should not have assumed that the existing access to their casino would be maintained if the original ring road route was rejected. The City insists they made clear that they always reserved the right to cut that road off.
I understand that Calgarians are upset. I believe they would have had more understanding for the rejection if it had come much sooner, rather than after decades of negotiation in good faith. There was also some talk that their casino permit (which was issued years ago) was supposedly contingent on a ring road deal, which they rejected.
Using your home sale rejection analogy, I think a buyer would be some pissed if they dealt back and forth for 20 years only for me to say 'no'.
I tend to be pretty unsympathetic towards calgarians and this issue, but you're right, after years of talking, it is disappointing to have it fall through. Also, I get most of my news through the Sun so I only hear the redneck side.
If you negotiated in good faith and then had the home owner reject your offer, would you be surprised to be sued by them when you went ahead and purchased a lot across the street and built another house that met all caveats but block the original homes unobstructed view?
I also have tons of personal baggage about building more roads and catering to carcentric Calgarians but having determined that a new SW access is necessary - lets get on with it. Creating access to Grey Eagles should not be Calgarians responsibilty or problem.
Feeling a bit testy today - right now I believe that if H1N1 vaccine is offered to everyone and folks choose not to avail themselves of the opportunity, they shouldn't avail themselves of the healthcare system if they become infected.
Yeah... sorry Bob. I'm not biting on that one.
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