While IANAL, some of the powers ascribed to these documents by people at the OLA--wave it in front of a government official trying to gain access to your property and he will apparently melt--seem downright bizarre. Furthermore, Lanark MPP Randy Hillier seems to have contacted a real lawyer, and as a result is now expressing doubt over this particular arrow in the OLA's strategy quiver:
Dear friends in the Landowners;
There has been much written and said regarding Crown Land Patents, but most, if not all, that you have heard is either false or misleading. As the founding President of both the Lanark and Ontario Landowners, I feel I have an obligation to caution you regarding much of the information that is out there, and provide you with some facts and informed positions on Crown Patents.
There follows a recitation of these facts, after which Randy concludes that Crown Land Patents do not override the principles of common law, and cannot therefore keep the government off your land.
This has not made them happy at the OLA, and today President Tom Black posted a response. It begins:
It is with great sadness that I respond to a letter that was sent to the Ontario Landowners Association (OLA) members on Sunday, March 11, 2012. In this letter, Randy Hillier MPP for Lanark, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington and one of the original founders of the OLA informed the membership that he no longer supports the direction of the OLA and specifically our quest to discover the value of the Land Patent/Crown Grants as per our property rights.
Mind you, some of the OLA membership have not taken Hillier's musings with such equanimity, and have lashed out instead. For example:
Nick Vandergragt I am very sorry Randy, but you blew it big time with this. I only hope we can do enough damage control to avoid a major setback.
...and:
Andrew Phillips: Randy Hillier is a sell out. You could tell that when he backed off on closing the Ontairo Human Rights Commission.
Who says they don't know how to have fun out in Lanarck?
