• Representing Six Nations, Hill, councillors Bob Johnson, Carl Hill and Terry General, as well as land research director Lonny Bomberry and land department consultant Phil Monture.

• Representing the County of Brant were Mayor Ron Eddy and chief administrative officer Paul Emerson.

• Representing the City of Brantford were Friel, chief administrative officer Darryl Lee and city solicitor Heidi DeVries.

In Friel’s letter, he says that about 45 minutes into the meeting debate turned onto the issues of what’s known as the 1997 agreement. The 1997 agreement between the city and Six Nations, which Friel was involved in creating, allowed for the crossing of the Grand River for municipal services — including water and sewer lines — to connect to Brantford’s northwest industrial park.

In Friel’s letter, he said that Monture “reinitiated his twisted history of the 1997 agreement.” Friel said he told Monture that “we would not see the 1997 agreement applied across the whole city.”

In previous documents, including a 2014 lawsuit filed by Six Nations against the city, Six Nations council has advocated that, according to the 1997 agreement and the Indian Act, municipal land in the City of Brantford held in trust for Six Nations was never intended to be taxed. Friel has said in the past that the 1997 agreement was not intended to apply to any plot of land in Brantford, only lands located within the northwest industrial park.

At this point, both Hill’s letter and Friel’s letter agree on the next series of events.

Monture said to Friel, “that is why I don’t trust you.”

Friel then left the meeting while tossing an expletive at Monture, “F*** you, Phil.”

"From my perspective, the meeting was going well and I felt like we were making progress, until I was unjustly provoked,” Friel said in a statement on Tuesday. "While the remark to incite my reaction was absolutely uncalled for, I regret if I offended anyone in the heat of the moment.

"That certainly wasn’t my intention. In retrospect, I should have responded differently."

In Friel’s letter to his councillors, he says that Monture’s comment about not trusting him went “to the very heart of my personal integrity” and that his reply came in “frustration.”

In an interview on Sunday, Brant's Eddy said that Friel’s conduct was not appropriate.

“Ever,” said Eddy, adding that it was his intention to “continue working together toward an effort to finding improvements.”

From that standpoint the county chief administrative officer, Emerson, is trying to set up another meeting with Bryant and the same representatives as soon as possible.

“We are in the county between Brantford and Six Nations and need to be involved,” Eddy said.

However, in his opinion, there seemed to be some doubt about expected outcomes from Bryant at the August meeting, as Eddy said Bryant seemed to suggest that the meeting was over before it had started.

In her letter, Hill says that Friel’s actions “will certainly put a strain on the relationship between the city and Six Nations with respect to further discussions on any issue.”

In his letter, Friel said he contacted Bryant the next day to step away from the mediations and said he has asked Coun. Cheryl Antoski to take his place in future meetings between the three parties. He said he tried to call Chief Hill twice the next day to no response.

“I remain committed personally to supporting Indigenous issues — I will always be a vocal advocate,” Friel’s letter says. “But I can’t be involved in a process in which my involvement will be a detriment.”

Friel’s letter also says that “Chief Hill’s attempt here to politically embarrass me, leads me to believe that this mediation has more to do with Six Nations politics rather than trying to advocate a true partnership.”

Even though Hill's letter was dated Aug. 17, it was not included in the city’s official report on communications at either the Aug. 22 or the Sept. 26 council meetings. The city’s director of communications said the three parties agreed prior to meeting in August to hold all discussion and related documents in confidence.

Hill did not respond to requests for an interview.