City of Brantford has been granted an interim injunction in an effort to end the ongoing occupation of the Arrowdale property.
Maria Vissochi, Director of Communications, for the City of Brantford, said the application for the injunction order was filed on December 8, and was initially heard by the Court on Monday December 13. At that time an interim injunction was granted that was in place until the next return of the motion, which expired December 20.
During court proceedings, the judge granted the defendants an extension until Wednesday morning (December 22) to respond to the City’s motion materials that were delivered again in person at 9:00 a.m. this morning.
“The purpose of the injunction is to obtain an Order of the Court restraining the named defendants and anyone with knowledge of the Order from trespassing on the property, to prevent the named defendants and anyone with knowledge of the Order from interfering with the City’s access to the property and to ask that the Sheriff, with assistance from the Brantford Police Service, to enforce the Order and remove anyone from the property who continues to trespass or interfere with the City’s access to the property,” said Visocchi.
The named defendants include Trevor Bomberry, from Six Nations of the Grand River, and leader of a group of land defenders who began occupying the former Arrowdale Municipal Golf Course property on October 9. Also named as defendants are Kurt Hadowas Gibson, Alexander Dawson, Dan Oakes, Ron Heaslip and Kailee Poisson, who is president of Friends of Arrowdale, a citizens group committed to saving the golf course.
“The property at 282 Stanley Street has been lawfully owned by the City of Branford for close to a century and the current occupation of individuals on the site since October 9th is unlawful and unsafe. This is of particular concern given two recent incidents that transpired last weekend whereby one of the occupiers slammed down a megaphone that an Active Security Guard was using to communicate with individuals on site, striking the mouth and hand of an Active Security guard and injuring the middle finger on the guard’s right hand,” said Visocchi.
On Saturday December 11, 2021, at approximately 9:35 p.m. and 9:50 p.m., an Active Security Guard witnessed an unknown subject pointing a green laser at the security vehicle from inside the gates at 282 Stanley Street. The Active Security Guard exited the vehicle to determine who was pointing a laser, and upon doing so, was shot at with an airsoft pellet gun. The Guard was struck with a pellet below his right eye. He returned to the vehicle. Three individuals then emerged from the property gates, approached and surrounded the vehicle, pointed strong and strobing flashlights at the security guards inside, and started kicking and striking the windows of the vehicle attempting to break the car windows. Egg shells and pellets were also projected at the vehicle, causing damage.
Both incidents, on Friday December 10 and Saturday December 11, were recorded by Active Security Guard body cameras. Brantford Police Service officers were called to the site and three BPS Officers took Active Security’s statements.
The City’s primary objective continues to be ensuring the safety and well-being of all parties on site.
