Native protesters have occupied disputed land in Caledonia since early 2006, but don’t call it a “standoff,” says the incoming commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Chris Lewis—named Wednesday by Premier Dalton McGuinty to succeed Julian Fantino, who retires as head of the OPP on August 1—has been in charge of the Caledonia operation for more than three years.

“The term ‘standoff,’ right off the bat, really strikes with me because it really is not a standoff at this point,” Lewis told reporters at Queen’s Park.

“It’s a very peaceful community. People on the disputed land, as we speak, we’re not having any problems there,” he said.

“So I really have inherited nothing but continuing to do my job at a different level than I’ve been doing for the last few years.”

Lewis, 53, who was appointed a deputy in 2007 by Fantino, began his policing career in 1978 in the remote Kapuskasing detachment and is well-regarded by his fellow officers.

He oversaw the creation of the OPP’s aboriginal policing bureau and has studied aboriginal government and law, which may have been helpful in dealing with Caledonia, which has dogged the government since Feb. 28, 2006.

At issue is the occupation of Douglas Creek Estates, a former housing development site in Caledonia, south of Hamilton, which natives say was stolen from them by the Crown more than 200 years ago.

“I’ve been the lead on that file since I became deputy in January 2007, so really nothing will change,” said Lewis.

“Those are difficult situations that we’re faced with. We’ll continue to take our tempered and measured approach in how we deal with it and we’ll do our best to keep the peace there so nothing will change from our perspective.”

Haldimand County Mayor Marie Trainer said while “things are calm at this hour” in Caledonia, problems can flare up quickly.

“We are always on standby and the neighbours there have very poor nerves,” Trainer said in an interview Wednesday.

“Nothing is happening at the moment but they still occupy the site, there’s still the burnt-out trailer there, and they won’t let us on site to clean up the terrible mess,” she said of the disputed land the province bought for $15.8 million.

Fantino, a former chief of the forces in Toronto, York Region, and London, presided over the provincial police for almost four years and inherited the complicated Caledonia debacle from his predecessor.

While popular with the rank-and-file—he often ticketed speeders while driving from his Woodbridge home to OPP headquarters in Orillia—Fantino’s efforts to defuse tensions in Caledonia sometimes landed him in hot water.

The current commissioner was also criticized for his dealings with the Special Investigations Unit, which probes fatal police incidents,

Police and government sources say Lewis—who bested fellow OPP deputy Larry Beechey and Toronto Police deputy chief Tony Warr for the top job—will likely maintain a lower profile.

Appearing at his side at Queen’s Park on Wednesday, a beaming McGuinty hailed Lewis for “a lifetime of outstanding service that has culminated in becoming our newest OPP commissioner.”

The premier, however, was careful to also praise Fantino for “all he has done to uphold the law and keep Ontario’s families safe.”

Lewis, the 13th OPP commissioner in the service’s 101-year history, will run a force with 5,900 uniformed officers, 1,800 civilian employees and 850 auxiliary members.

Progressive Conservative MPP Garfield Dunlop (Simcoe North) praised the appointment.

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“We are fortunate that such a dedicated individual, admired by the public and his fellow officers, has been appointed to lead the OPP. I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead the OPP forward,” said Dunlop.

NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale-High Park) said the problems at Caledonia are due to “provincial and federal bungling of the First Nations file,” not anything Lewis has done or will do in policing.

“This … is not the commissioner’s job. This is the government’s job,” said DiNovo, criticizing both McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the problem.

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