Province Accuses Beauval Man of Squatting

Province Accuses Beauval Man of Squatting

Tuesday, September 02, 2003 at 14:50

A Beauval-area man has a court date with the provincial government later this week over whether he has the right to live on unoccupied Crown land.

The government contends that Norman Bonneau is squatting on a site near the Waterhen Bridge along Highway 155 where he and his family have cleared some land and set up a trailer.

The government is asking a Court of Queen’s Bench justice to give it clearance to remove him from the area.

Bonneau says he has researched the land rights of North American Aboriginal people and does not accept the legal claim to the land by the province through the 1930 Land Transfer Act. He argues the legislation was for commerce only — and doesn’t deal with land ownership.

Bonneau welcomes the opportunity to stand up to the government on behalf of northern Aboriginal people.

Bonneau doesn’t have a lawyer and will defend himself when he appears in court this Thursday.